


The Dark Heir

by ShadowedDarkness1230



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark Rey, Dark Reylo, Empress Rey, F/F, F/M, Sith Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:29:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 71,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowedDarkness1230/pseuds/ShadowedDarkness1230
Summary: Rey grows up alone and lonely. When a member of her grandfather's Final Order finds her and offers to bring her to him, she eagerly accepts. From there, she is trained to be a Sith. After a ritual, she is not just a Sith. She is all the Sith and the Sith Empress.Manipulation, death, power, and blood follows.Dark!ReyREYLO!, Sith!Rey, Empress!Rey, OP!Rey
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker(Implied), Rey/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY, DISNEY AND LUCASFILM OWN ALL CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT. I DO NOT MAKE MONEY FROM THIS, THIS IS PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.

****

**Chapter 1(Family)**

**\----Rey POV----**

Rey felt sweat pour down her face as she scoured the inside of the wrecked Star Destroyer _._ Searching for parts was no easy job. Taking a second to wipe the sweat off her face, she reached into her bag and pulled out her canteen. She took a quick swallow of water and instantly felt the lukewarm liquid relax her parched throat. On Jakku, you learn that water is a luxury you cannot afford to waste. On Jakku, water was one of the most valuable substances you could find. The entire planet was one big, dry desert. 

After replacing her water canteen, Rey sighed. She had been working all day and she knew she would barely even be paid with a full meal. Unkar Plutt was very unreasonable when it came to pricing. She walks out of the back of the Star Destroyer, through where one of the Destroyer’s engines used to be. She looks out over the horizon and just like every other day she has looked, she sees nothing but sand for miles. In the distance, she can see Nima Outpost. “ _I hate sand. I just wish my parents would finally come back so we can leave together._ ” She thinks to herself. 

Grabbing a piece of scrap metal, Rey uses it to sled quickly down the hill of sand. She grabs the parts she found and walks over to her speeder. She puts her parts in a net attached to the side. As she climbs on the speeder, she puts her bo-staff in the net with the parts. She starts her speeder and accelerates it towards Niima Outpost, the sun slowly lowering on the horizon.

She arrives back at the outpost and hops off her speeder. She grabs her bo-staff and her parts for the day and makes her way towards Unkar Plutt’s stand. She arrives and waits in a line for her turn. She glances around her and notices something she has never seen before. Stormtroopers are patrolling Niima Outpost. “ _I wonder what interest the First Order has on a backwater planet like Jakku?_ ” She thinks to herself. She is broken out of her musings when a voice calls out, “Next!”

Rey walks up to the stand and hands Plutt her haul for the day. The trader examines the parts and grumbles something inaudible. “What you have brought me today…is worth one-quarter portion.” He says and slaps a forth of a portion on the counter. 

Rey feels her anger rise. “But last week both of these parts were a half portion each!” She says, outraged.

The trader shrugs. “Take it or leave it, girl. One-quarter portion.” Rey continues to scowl but grabs the ration pack and makes her way back to her home. As she walks away from Plutt’s stand, she sees the Stormtroopers gesturing towards someone. She watches as they walk towards an old man and begin to antagonize him. She again feels her anger grow as she watches the Stormtroopers laughing at the old man as he lays on the ground, eyes round with fear. Without thinking, she grabs her bo-staff and launches herself at the troopers. The troopers spin around, hearing her yell out in outrage, and raise their blasters. She sees them fire without hesitating and realizes her mistake. Time around Rey seems to slow down as she watches the red blaster bolts racing towards her. On instinct, she raises her hand. The people standing around her gasp as they see the laser bolts freeze in mid-air. The Stormtroopers say something into their coms, and walk away, leaving Rey seething in anger. Rey begins to follow the Stormtroopers before thinking better of it. 

She turns and makes her way to the fallen walker she calls home. As an afterthought, she releases the laser bolts and hears them slam into a wall behind her. Rey looks at her hands in shock. “ _How did I do that? I just froze those laser bolts in mid-air. That shouldn’t be possible! I thought The Force was made up, and here I am wielding it!_ ” She thinks. She walks into the walker and grabs a metal dish. She fills it with water and pours her quarter portion into the water. She then gently stirs the mixture with her finger and places it on an exhaust vent. Seconds later, the water and ration mixture has turned into a piece of bread. Rey grabs it and makes her way outside to watch the sun dip over the horizon. After watching darkness cover the planet, Rey turns to make her way back into her walker when she hears a sound, one she never thought she would hear while on a backwater planet like Jakku.

Overhead, the unmistakable sound of a _TIE_ -Fighter is heard overhead. Rey glances up and watches as the spacecraft makes its way towards Nima Outpost. The outpost is not visible from her walker, but she can hear the explosions and screams of agony and terror as The First Order Navy begins its aerial assault. The darkening sky is split by the green laser fire emitted by the _TIEs_ , and Rey can’t help but allow The First Order to do to her what it does best. Inflict fear. 

She feels herself begin to shake in fear, coming to a terrible realization. The Stormtroopers must have told The First Order what she did. She feels despair wash over her as she realizes people are dying because of her. The First Order is here for her and she is allowing them to slaughter innocents instead of turning herself over. 

Her fear reaches new heights as a big, black, command shuttle flies overhead, heading for Niima Outpost. “ _I should help them._ ” She thinks, but instead of heading for Niima Outpost, she rushes to her speeder and takes off in the other direction. “ _I have to help them! I have to! I can’t leave them to die!_ ” 

Her mind is conflicted, but eventually, she is able to convince herself that those people don’t deserve to die. She redirects her speeder back to Niima Outpost. As she draws nearer, she sees orange and red flames illuminating the Stormtroopers. When she arrives on the outskirts of the outpost, she turns off her speeder and makes her way towards the center of town, being careful not to be heard. As the villagers of Niima Outpost try to fight back, The First Order sends in Flametroopers. Rey gasps as she recognizes the signature look of the command shuttle and feels shivers run down her spine. Darkness begins to well inside her as she watches The First Order needlessly slaughtering every villager they see. Finally, Rey reaches the center of the villages and watches in horror as a black-cloaked figure stands before Lor San Tekka. The man's modulated voice echos from his mask. “Look how old you’ve become.” 

Lor San Tekka looks sadly at the man. “Something far worse has happened to you.” The man in the cloak remains silent before responding.

Ren remains silent before saying, “You know what we have come for.”

Lor San Tekka responds with. “I know where you come from...before you called yourself Kylo Ren.”

“The map to Skywalker, we know you’ve found it. And now you are going to give it to The First Order.” He says, mechanically altered voice echoing once more.

Lor San Tekka once again sadly responds, “The First Order arose from the Dark Side. You did not.” The old man says.

The masked man steps closer and harshly says, “I will show you…the Dark Side.” 

Lor San Tekka responds once more. “You may try, but you cannot deny the truth…that is your family.” He says.

The masked man says. “You are so right.” Before igniting a red blade and slashing the old man dead. Rey feels her anger turn to sadness and feels the two emotions collide, forming a feeling of absolute loathing. She feels herself wanting to launch herself at the cloaked man but instead watches in horror as a man fires a laser bolt at Kylo Ren, only to have the man spin around and freeze the bolt mid-air much like she did earlier that day. Stormtroopers rush forward and drag the man before Kylo Ren, shoving him to his knees before the dark warrior. Ren kneels down and stares at the man from behind a mask. 

After a moment of silence, the man speaks up. “So who talks first. You talk first? I talk first?” He asks.

Kylo Ren remains emotionless, before speaking out loud. “The old man gave it to you…” A moment of silence follows that statement, being interrupted by Ren ordering, “Search him.” 

The two Stormtroopers standing behind the man roughly drag the man up and search him. “Nothing sir.” The troops say after a moment. 

“Put him on board.” Ren orders. The Stormtroopers drag the man to one of their landers. 

A Stormtrooper dressed in all silver walks towards Ren. “Sir…the villagers.” She says, looking at the remaining villagers being held in the center of the village.

Kylo Ren turns to look at them before ordering, “Kill them all.” The villagers scream upon hearing that order.

The Stormtroopers all raise their blasters, and the silver-armored trooper says, “On my command! Fire!” 

Rey watches in stunned horror as The First Order murders a whole village of innocent people. She watches as Kylo Ren walks back towards his ship and watches him look curiously at a Stormtrooper who Rey noticed never fired a shot. Rey feels her anger rise and flinches back in shock when she hears a voice inside her head. “ _Good, child. Embrace your anger. It gives you strength._ ” 

She looks around her, shock and fear radiating from her. “Who said that?” She asks.

For nearly a minute, Rey looks around her, trying to understand where the voice came from. Again she asks, “Who spoke?” Again, no response. 

Rey looks around, inspecting her surroundings. Trying to judge where the mysterious voice could have come from. After not seeing anything, she makes her way back to her fallen AT-AT that she calls home. She walks in and feels her legs collapse from the day's events. She had gone to Niima Outpost expecting to get her food and return for a night’s rest, but instead, she had borne witness to a horrible event with The First Order behind it.

The wall to her right is covered in hundreds of scratch marks, counting the number of days Rey has been alone on Jakku. “ _All I have ever wanted is a family, and I was left behind by my mother and father. Why can’t I have just had a normal life with a family who loved me?_ ” She asks herself. 

She gets no answer which only serves to fuel her rage. “ _WHY! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE ALONE?”_ She asks.

Again, no response. Rey sighs, feeling her anger dissipate slightly. She walks over to the pile of rags she calls a bed and tries to fall asleep. The second she does, a vision takes place in her mind. 

**Bodies are strewn about all over the ground as Rey slowly makes her way towards a blue light she sees. When she arrives, she sees a man wearing a brown cloak with a white tunic underneath it. The white tunic is stained red with blood. In his cybernetic hand he carries a blue lightsaber, and at his feet are the bodies of two people she instantly recognizes as her parents. Her vision self leaps towards the man, and right before the blue blade can slice through her, her vision self blocks the blow with a red blade.**

She hears the voice once again, “ _Long…have I waited...To see the mind of my grandchild alive and well…Oh, dear child, you know nothing of your heritage. I am sorry to have to tell you this, but your parents are dead. As are your mother’s family. I...am the only family you have left…”_ The voice finishes. 

Rey can’t help but feel hope, though that is overshadowed by distrust. “Who are you? How do you know me? How are you talking to me?” She asks.

The voice chuckles. “ _I know you from a vision I had while meditating a few minutes ago, and I am talking to you using a certain technique derived from the dark side of the force. As for my name, well…my name is Sheev._ ” The voice says.

Rey nods before saying, “Okay, Sheev. _How do I know I can trust you?_ ” She asks.

The voice sighs. “ _I swear on the life within my bones that you can trust me. I am indeed your grandfather on your father’s side. I was your father’s father._ ” The voice says, laced with sorrow. “ _When my son died, I thought I was alone in the world. For the past 25 years, I have believed myself the last member of a forgotten family. Then, earlier today, I had a vision containing you._ ” The voice says.

Rey feels herself trusting the voice. “How do I get to you and where are you?” She asks.

The man chuckles again. “ _I am sending a transport to pick you up. It will arrive at the walker you call home. The ship’s pilot will tell you this phrase to confirm his identity, ‘Peace is a lie.’”_ The man says.

Rey feels herself smile for the first time in years. “Okay. I look forward to meeting you, grandfather.” She says and feels the man’s consciousness leave her mind. 

Rey feels her body grow anxious as hours pass by and there is no sign of the transport. She feels anger and sadness begin to return to her body. Behind her, the sound of a gun being loaded and aimed is heard. She slowly turns around and sees a man wearing a black shirt and a brown coat, aiming a First Order rifle at her head. “Where is the nearest outpost girl?” The man asks, sweat sliding down his brown skin. 

Rey doesn’t respond, instead, she acts on instinct. She allows her anger and sadness to pool together, forming a feeling of power. “Hurry up and answer girl, or I will splatter your brains across the room.” He says, shaking voice betraying his nervousness. 

She looks directly at the man and watches him flinch. “Girl, why are your eyes red?” He asks.

“ _What? Red eyes? What is he talking about? Well no matter, he will learn who he is messing with.”_ She thinks to herself. 

Rey points her hands at the man, and gritting her teeth, sends a bolt of electricity arcing from her fingertips to impact the man's body. She gasps when she sees this happen, but a chuckle from in her mind draws her attention. “ _Well done granddaughter. The fact that you can already use lightning makes you the youngest being to ever accomplish that. Your powers are remarkable. I look forward to training you and most of all…meeting you.”_ The voice says.

Rey smiles, but her attention is drawn back to the inside of her walker as she hears the man scream in pain again. She smiles. “What is your name?” She asks the man with him still reeling in agony. 

As though used to the question, he responds, “FN-2187.” 

Rey gasps and feels her anger rise once again. Before her stands a member of the First Order. Without a second thought, she points her hands at the man and sends more lightning at the man. Causing the man to scream in agony once more. She laughs as the man continues to scream in pain, begging for mercy. Her fun is interrupted by a voice speaking from the door of the walker. “I am sorry to interrupt what appears to be a very good torture session but ‘Peace is a lie.’” 

Rey stops the lightning and turns to look at the man. “Very well.” She responds, casting one last hateful glare at the whimpering man on the floor. She follows the man out of the walker and feels herself gasp at the ship she is lead into. Having scavenged the remains of multiple Star Destroyers, she would recognize the white imperial transports anywhere. She had no idea that the ships still existed, let alone were upgraded. From what Rey could tell, the ship she was currently aboard was just as upgraded as the First Order command shuttle from Niima Outpost earlier that day. 

The man turns back to her, “My name is General Pryde. I am here on direct orders from your grandfather, asking me to bring you to him.” He says.

Rey feels her confusion appear on her face. “General? Of what? The First Order?” She asks.

The man snorts but shakes his head. “Your grandfather told me not to tell you anything. He wishes to tell you himself. What I will say is that it isn’t the First Order.” He says. 

She nods. “Where is my grandfather? What planet?” She asks.

The man smirks. “He is on a planet called Exegol.” He responds.

Rey once again feels confused. “Exegol? I got a man in my village to teach me as many planets and star-systems as he could, and he never once mentioned Exegol.” She says. 

The man nods. “That makes sense. You haven’t heard of Exegol because according to every star chart in existence, it doesn’t exist. It is impossible to get to without using a certain device called a Wayfinder.” He says, gesturing at a triangular object filled with green liquid and a red flashing dot. Lines criss-cross across the glass of the object. 

“Get comfortable Rey. The flight to Exegol should take around a day. I will take you to the guest quarters.” General Pryde says. 

Rey nods, “Thank you, General.” 

The General gestures with his left arm and leads her out of the main compartment of the shuttle. 

After the General leaves her in the guest chambers, she sits on the bed and crosses her legs, closing her eyes. She focuses her thoughts and says mentally, “ _Grandfather?_ ” 

After a few moments, her grandfather responds, “ _Rey. I assume you are in route with General Pryde?_ ” He asks.

“ _Yes, Grandfather. He estimates we will be there in around a day._ ” She responds. 

“ _Excellent. That gives me time to begin enlightening you to what you should expect when you arrive.”_ Sheev says. 

As Rey goes to respond, the ship jerks suddenly. General Pryde’s voices overhead, “Rey. We are being pulled from hyperspace by a powerful First Order ship called an interdictor. Please come to the cockpit.” 

“ _Grandfather, we are being attacked by The First Order._ ” She says mentally. 

She feels a powerful feeling of anger flow through her mental connection with her grandfather. “ _Okay, Rey. I will send a rescue ship. Try to hold them off for now. Use your anger to fuel your power._ ” He says.

Rey sends understanding through the bond and makes her way towards the cockpit. “General Pryde, what is the plan?” 

“Rey, we don’t have many options. After pulling us out of light speed, they captured us with their tractor beam. We are being pulled into the underbelly hanger of the interdictor. Once there, we will most likely be tortured for information.” 

Rey feels hopelessness rise before remembering what her grandfather said. “We just need to buy time General. My grandfather is sending us a rescue ship.” She says.

General Pryde looks confused. “Who is your grandfather?” He asks.

Rey feels his confusion reflected on her face. “What do you mean who is he? He sent you.” She says.

General Pryde’s eyes widen, before saying quietly to himself, “Your grandfather… of course. That is why he wanted me to pick you up personally.” 

She stares at him for a few moments before she is brought back to the present by a clanging noise as their ship is docked in the interdictor’s hanger. A few minutes later, Rey and General Pryde stand in front of the door with blasters drawn. When the blast doors open, in walks four stormtroopers with blasters primed and ready to fire. They see her and Pryde and walk towards them saying, “Freeze! Drop your weapons! Put your hands up rebel scum!” Next to her, Rey sees Pryde roll his eyes, but he drops his weapon either way.

Rey follows his example and lets the Stormtroopers cuff her. She and Pryde are ordered to separate interrogation cells, and Rey is restrained to a metal chair. A Stormtrooper stands guard at the door to her cell. A few minutes later, Rey feels a dark presence make its way towards her. Her fear increases, along with her anger when she recognizes the cloaked man from Niima Outpost. His altered voice says, “So…here we have a scavenger girl from Jakku who apparently tortured a Stormtrooper with lightning. Hmm.” He walks towards her. “I can sense your fear.” 

She glares at him. “That is what happens when you are being hunted by a creature in a mask.” She says. 

After a moment of silence, Kylo Ren reaches up and removes his mask. He places it in a resting alter near the door and walks towards her. “I want to know who trained you girl. There is no possible way you could use force lightning without guidance, especially at your age.” He says, she remains silent. “You know I can take whatever I want.” He adds.

She still remains quite. He reaches up with his right hand and begins attempting to use the Force to probe her mind. “ _Block it, Rey. You are my grandchild. You have more power than the grandchild of Vader could ever hope to. Focus your mind on forming a wall of Durasteel around your thoughts and then project your mind into his._ ” Her grandfather instructs her. 

She does and watches in amusement as Kylo Ren tries to break into her mind. She then projects her power into an assault on the shields protecting his mind. What she sees surprises her. The same cloaked man from her vision haunts Ren’s thoughts. A particular memory of the man trying to kill him in his sleep is at the forefront of Ren’s contained hatred. Luke Skywalker is the man’s name. He was Ren’s master. Next, Rey sifts through Ren’s mind, smirking when she sees an addiction. Addiction to power. Ren’s goals are all shadowed by Ren’s main goal. Become more powerful than Darth Vader. 

She glares at the shocked look on Ren’s face before saying, “You…you’re afraid…that you will never be as strong as Darth Vader!” She says. 

Ren pulls back his hand, gasping in shock. How did a scavenger overpower him in willpower? He was taught by a Sith. A powerful Sith who goes by the name Snoke.

Rey smiles as she hears him think that. “Snoke?” She says out loud. “Who is Snoke?” She asks.

Ren grabs his mask and rushes out of the cell, sweat dripping down his neck. In her head, Sheev exclaims, “ _Well done Rey. You already have an extreme amount of power. After I train you, you will make the perfect heir._ ” He says. 

She frowns. “ _The heir to what?_ ” She asks. 

He just mentally says, “ _All in good time, grandchild. Upon your arrival on Exegol, I will explain everything to you._ ”

She falls silent for a minute before asking, “ _Grandfather, who is Snoke? Is he a threat?_ ” 

In her head, Sheev chuckles. “ _A threat? No. I promise everything will become clearer upon your arrival here._ ” 

Rey feels her confusion rise again, but squashes it, letting her anger take over. The metal restraints holding her in place snap and she falls to the ground, causing the Stormtrooper guarding the entrance to rush towards her, not realizing who he is dealing with. Rey points her left hand at the Stormtrooper and sends tendrils of lightning arcing through the mans armor, frying him from the inside out. She grabs the Stormtrooper’s blaster and makes her way out of the cell. 

She closes her eyes briefly before reopening them. She turns to the left and follows her instincts to where she can sense General Pryde. Every time Rey hears a patrol of troopers coming, she hides. Eventually, she makes her way to the interrogation block Pryde is in and kills the guard outside the cell. She gestures up with her right hand and the door opens, allowing her to enter. She gasps at what she sees. General Pryde’s body is covered in wounds oozing blood, causing the man to look dead. She quickly feels for a pulse and is relieved to find a faint one. She gestures in a pulling motion and the shackles holding Pryde in place snap, freeing him. 

Rey levitates his body and begins making her way through the interdictor to the underbelly hanger, avoiding patrols as she goes. Once she reaches the ship, she puts Pryde in the med-bay, telling the med-droid to heal him, and makes her way to the cockpit. She starts the ship and disconnects from the interdictor. She flies the ship out of the underbelly hanger and towards the route the Wayfinder leads her. Soon she is flying through a maze of red space matter but soon hears her grandfather say, “ _Now is the time. Jump to light speed._ ” 

She reaches down and pulls the lever. “Hmm. How do I know how to fly?” She thinks to herself. “I have never flown before. Maybe it is from all the times I have scavenged ships like this.” 

A few minutes later, the ship exits light speed and she gasps. Exegol is covered in hazards. Gravity wells, solar flares. Even random bursts of lightning. She feels her grandfather in her head, guiding the ship towards a giant metal structure. She lands and walks down the exit ramp. She feels the cold air around her condense and hears voices whispering in her ears. She can’t make out everything they are saying, but she recognizes one word. “Welcome.”

She leaves Pryde in the med-bay, still unconscious, and makes her way into the metal structure. She walks slowly and cautiously into the structure, not knowing what to expect. Rey walks to a metal platform, and it lowers her down deeper into the structure. 

Once the lift stops moving, Rey looks up and notices many stone statues surrounding her. She walks towards where her instincts guide her. A few more minutes of walking and she finds her self looking at a metal tube containing a scarred body. The face of the creature is dented on one side. “At last.” A voice says.

Rey makes her way to where the voice came from and gasps. A giant black throne sits before her, and hanging from a metal arm next to it is a man dressed in a black cloak. “Long…have I waited…For my grandchild to come home.” He says.

Rey gasps. “You…are my grandfather?” She asks.

The man chuckles, “Yes child. I know you are from Jakku, but you might still recognize me. After all, for your entire life, you have been scavenging the remains of my fleet.” 

She feels her legs grow weak, and says quietly, “My grandfather…is the emperor…” She says. Voice laced with awe and fear. 

“Indeed child. I have searched for years for a worthy heir, and at last, I have found one. One of my own blood, at that.” He says.

“Grandfather…” She says hesitantly.

“Yes, child.” He responds.

“The heir to what exactly?” She asks.

He cackles and she feels a chill run down her spine. “The heir to the empire, of course.” He says. “Welcome home…Empress Palpatine.”

**A/N.**

**This story was originally posted on FanFiction.Net and due to a request, I am posting it here too. This is my first time using AO3 so I will probably make formatting errors.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Previous chapter:**

“Indeed child. I have searched for years for a worthy heir, and at last, I have found one. One of my own blood, at that.” He says.

“Grandfather…” She says hesitantly.

“Yes, child.” He responds.

“The heir to what exactly?” She asks.

He cackles and she feels a chill run down her spine. “The heir to the empire, of course.” He says. “Welcome home…Empress Palpatine.”

**Chapter 2(Reveal)**

**————Leia Organa POV————**

“General. We need you in the war room. We have received new intelligence that sheds light on a new threat.” Lieutenant Snap Wexley says.

Leia sighs. “I am on my way Lieutenant. Gather all rebellion officers and meet me there. We have much to discuss.” 

Wexley nods. “Yes General.” 

Leia puts her head in her hands. “ _Why Ben? Why did you have to turn? Why did you listen to Snoke’s voice in your head? Couldn’t Luke have sensed Snoke’s influence before it was too late? Why did he do nothing to stop the darkness within my son? Why can’t I sense my brother anymore? We used to always sense when something was wrong with the other, but now I can’t feel anything related to Luke. All I can sense is the darkness clouding the galaxy.”_ All these thoughts rush through Leia’s mind as she makes her way through the metal corridors to the D’Qar base control center. 

When she arrives, all of the Resistance officers are whispering to each other, wondering what could have happened to cause this meeting. She sighs. “We have received both good and bad news.” She says.

A cloak of fear and trepidation covers the room. Wedge Antilles speaks up, “What has happened, General?” Echoing the question on everyone’s mind. 

Leia sighs. “We have received word that Poe Dameron was captured by The First Order while on Jakku.” She says.

Anxious cries fill the room. Everyone in the Resistance knows Poe Dameron was by far the best pilot the Resistance had. Leia continues, “Later, he was able to escape with the aid of a deserting Stormtrooper.” 

Relieved exclamations follow this statement, “If that was the good news, what is the bad?” Admiral Holdo asks.

“We have received word from a spy in The First Order that confirms a terrible fact. While on Jakku, The First Order ran into a girl. The girl was unnaturally powerful with The Force, or more specifically, The Dark Side of the Force. She reportedly stopped blaster bolts in mid-air. Later after her ship was pulled out of hyperspace by a First Order Interdictor, she was interrogated by Kylo Ren. Apparently…she was able to resist my-, Kylo Ren.” She finishes, having to hastily correct herself before she revealed her terrible secret. 

Gasps ring around the room. “Who is she?” Someone calls out.

Leia sighs, “No one knows. We didn’t even know she existed until our spy informed us.” 

“I mean no offense, my friend,” Admiral Holdo says. “But we need your brother. Maybe he would know what to do about a mere child.” 

Other members of the Resistance voice agreement to the Admiral’s statement.

Leia sighs again. “That is where our problem lies. My brother has hidden himself. Going so far as to cut himself off from the Force. I no longer know where to find him.” 

Whispers arise once more before Leia silences them, saying, “This meeting is over. May the Force be with you.” She finishes with her classic saying.

The Resistance officers echo the statement. 

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

“The scavenger…resisted you!?” Snoke yells at his apprentice.

“She’s strong with the Force! Untrained but stronger than she knows.” He responds.

“She is an unknown. She must be destroyed before she finds her way to the Resistance.” Snoke says.

Kylo flinches, “Master, I may have forgotten to mention one key factor about her.” He says.

Snoke snarls, “What is it, apprentice?” 

“I sensed an unheard level of the Dark Side in her. She used Force Lightning with no training, along with freezing Stormtrooper blaster bolts in the air.” He says.

Snoke sits silently for a moment before saying quietly, “Well then…perhaps her joining the Resistance isn’t a threat, but we still need to find her. She could be a powerful asset.” 

Kylo flinches again. “Master. I don’t think you understand the level of Dark Side energy she was exuding. It was easily ten times that of yours and mine combined, perhaps more.” 

Snoke falls silent. The two Sith are interrupted from their musings when Hux walks in. “Supreme Leader. We have the location of the Resistance. We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system.”

Snoke laughs cruelly, “Good. Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon.” 

Hux smirks at Kylo before walking out of the holo-conference room. After Ren finishes his discussion with his master, Kylo walks back to his chambers, Stormtroopers and officers alike scattering before him. 

He walks into his chambers and kneels before the altar displaying his most prized possession. “Forgive me. I feel it again. The pull to the light. Supreme Leader senses it. Show me again. The power of the darkness. And I will let nothing stand in our way. Show me... Grandfather... and I will finish... what you started.” 

The mask of his grandfather, Darth Vader, stares back at him, fueling Kylo’s misgivings, even more, when his grandfather gives him no encouragement.

**————General Hux POV————**

Hux stands on the stage, thousands of his men staring at him, “Today is the end of the Resistance. The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder. At this very moment, in a system far from here... the Resistance lies to the galaxy. This fierce machine which you have built upon which we stand will bring an end to the Senate! To their cherished fleet! All remaining systems will bow to the First Order! And will remember this as the last day of rebellion!”

Hux’s face turns red from the effort of his speech before a voice in his com says, “Confirm transfer to manual control. Configure!”

Hux remains silent before ordering, “Fire!”

The ground on which Hux stands begins to shake and all First Order personnel turn to face the same way as Hux. As he watches, Starkiller Base fires a massive red beam into the sky, racing through space. Dooming the few rebels who have not yet evacuated.

**————Rey POV————**

Rey’s mind can’t stop thinking about what she was just told. “ _Empress Palpatine…”_ She thinks to herself. 

“Grandfather, I hope I don’t offend you with this question, but how will I become Empress? You no longer have a fleet.” She says.

Her grandfather just laughs, “That is what the rest of the galaxy thinks, when in fact, the opposite is true.” 

“A new empire…” He states. He raises his gnarled hands, lightning arcing between his fingertips. Outside the metal structure, a single Star Destroyer rises. Water falling off the massive ship as it arrises. Lightning flickering across its metal structure. Soon after, hundreds of Star Destroyers follow. “I call it…The Final Order…”

Rey looks at her grandfather, confusion and awe plain on her face. “Grandfather…” She trails off as she hears the screeching of metal on metal. A massive trap door opens in the roof and Rey gasps. In the sky, hundreds of Star Destroyers now reside. “How?” She asks.

Her grandfather smirks at her. The expression looking terrifying on his burnt and wrinkled skin. “The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be…unnatural.” As he says this, a bolt of lightning illuminates his scarred face. 

Rey feels anticipation rise within her, “Teach me, grandfather. Show me the ways of the Force. Show me the ways…of the Dark Side.” She says.

Her grandfather smiles at her. “Good.” He says, extending the word far past its usual length. “First, I am going to have Allegiant General Pryde take you to the capital ship of our fleet. From there, I will be training you through a Force projection. This will allow you to train on both your leadership skills and allow me to train you in the Force.” He finishes.

Rey nods, “Yes grandfather. Although Pryde was hurt severely the last time I saw him. He was tortured by Kylo Ren.” She says.

Her grandfather’s lips curl into a sneer. “That pathetic heir of Vader is becoming a nuisance. Once you are trained, you will deal with him.” He says. “Now. Go back to the shuttle and fly it to the largest ship in the sky. You will be able to sense which one I am talking about, and it is tough to miss.” He finishes. “And Rey…remember child, the officers of The Final Order are expendable. None of them matter to our empire. None of them…except you.” He says.

Rey nods. “Yes grandfather,” and for the first time in her life, she knows what it is like to have someone care for her. She turns and walks back the way she came. Right before she leaves his sight, she says. “Thank you, grandfather.”

Her grandfather smiles a real smile for the first time in decades. “You are welcome, my dear child. When you board the capital ship, the Sith Troopers will obey you. I have sent them orders to do as such.” 

Rey nods and makes her way back through the structure and takes the lift back up to the surface. From there, she walks towards the shuttle. After boarding the shuttle, she is pleasantly surprised to see Pryde is no longer injured. He looks at her and asks, “How did your meeting with the Emperor go?” He asks.

“Fine.” Rey retorts cooly, taking her grandfather’s advice to heart. “General Pryde…take me to the capital ship in the Final Order’s fleet.” She orders.

If Pryde notices her change in demeanor, he doesn’t comment. Instead, he responds, “Yes milady.” 

Rey makes her way to the lounge of the ship and sits down. The day's events begin to catch up to her, and she finally realizes the implications of who her grandfather is. 

A few minutes later, Pryde says, “We are approaching the _Ultimus_ , milady.” 

Rey stands from the chair she was sitting and looks out the front viewport. Slightly above the rest of the Star Destroyers, a massive ship sits. Rey skims through the memories of her time scavenging on Jakku, and the memory of the massive ship comes back to her. “ _A Super Star Destroyer…_ ” She thinks to herself. 

Over the coms, a voice says, “Allegiant General Pryde, you are clear for entry to hanger 47.” 

Pryde guides the shuttle to the designated hanger. Rey feels her surprise displayed on her face when she sees the hanger. It is huge, having room for a hundred shuttles like the one she is in. Troopers dressed in red armor walk about the massive area and _TIE_ -Fighters hang from the walls of the hanger.“Pryde. How many hangers does this ship have?” She asks, making her way out of the cockpit.

“1,800, milady.” He responds. Internally, he thinks, “ _What is the emperor thinking? I get she is his granddaughter, but she has no training in leadership or fighting. What use will she be to us?_ ” 

Rey spins around, thumb and forefinger pinching together. Pryde realizes his mistake when he feels his throat close up. “Questioning me already, are you General?” She asks.

Pryde shakes his head, clutching his throat. “Good. You would do good to remember your betters.” She says coldly, turning once again to walk out of the ship. 

Pryde, not used to having someone reading his thoughts, thinks, “ _That girl is pathetic. She is using Vader’s Force Chock. She is the granddaughter of the emperor, not a spawn of Vader._ ” 

Rey spins around once more and Pryde feels himself pale, realizing his mistake. She points both her hands at him, and blue lightning erupts from her fingertips. The lightning impacts Pryde’s skin, and he screams in agony. “Is that better…Allegiant General?” She sneers. “Is that more like the emperor’s granddaughter?” 

Rey turns and makes her way down the exit ramp, into the hanger of the Super Star Destroyer. As her grandfather said, the Sith Troopers immediately stand at attention as she walks past. Her head begins spinning and she nearly collapses to the ground. “ _You have used too much of your untamed power granddaughter. You have the power, but you do not yet know how to use it._ ” The voice of Sheev Palpatine says. “ _Have one of the officers escort you to your quarters. You need to rest. When you wake, we will begin your training._ ” He adds.

Rey mentally acknowledges him and calls out to one of the officers awaiting her arrival, “Officer, take me to my quarters. I will inspect the ship tomorrow.” 

The man hesitates before nodding, “Right away, milady.” 

He leads her through the metal corridors and up a lift, arriving at a room facing a glass viewport. “This is the throne room, milady. Your quarters are this way.” He says.

She follows him through metal blast doors before coming to a locked door. “This door requires a biometric scan. Only those with the blood of the emperor can enter. He had this set up for himself, but due to his condition has been unable to use it. Clothes have been provided for you on the emperor’s orders. They are on your bed.” He says.

Rey nods and places her thumb on the reader. A bar of light scans her thumb before the reader flashes green and the door opens. She walks into the room, dismissing the officer. She makes her way to the bedroom and allows her worn-out body to fall on the mattress. She notices a black outfit lying next to her on the bed and realizes that they are the clothes the officer told her about. 

After resting for a few minutes, she makes her way to the bathroom and strips her dirty rags off. She walks into the refresher and allows the warm water from the shower nozzle to wash away all of the sand and dust that cakes her cracked and dry skin. Years living on a desert planet like Jakku leave your skin dry. 

After half an hour of allowing the water to wash away the dust and sand on her skin, she turns off the water and steps out of the refresher. The water runs down her body, and Rey can’t help the shiver of contentment she gets from having warm water running down her skin. She grabs a towel from the metal rack and dries off her body, walking back towards the bed. She reaches down and grabs the outfit laid out for her, gasping at how soft the material is. She slips into it, smiling when she notices that her outfit has a hood. “ _Granddaughter. While I love how excited you are for this outfit, this is not your outfit to sleep in._ ” Her grandfather says. 

Rey feels her face turn red as she realizes something, “Wait, did you watch me shower?” She asks, distrust clear in her voice. 

Her grandfather sighs, “ _No granddaughter, I respect your privacy. Besides I am one-hundred and nineteen years old, and your grandfather. It would be extremely wrong for me to see you in an undressed state. Once I sensed you admiring the hood on your outfit, I knew you were no longer showering. The first thing I am going to teach you tomorrow is how to hide your thoughts, even from me. If I can see them, another powerful Force user likely could too.”_ He says. 

Rey nods. “I am sorry for not trusting you, grandfather. While on Jakku, I had to learn to defend myself from men who wished to do what they will to my body. I was nearly defiled multiple times, which caused me to be very cautious around men.” She explains.

The Emperor sends a wave of anger through their Force Link. “ _How dare those filthy males try to rape my heir!_ ” He calms down. “ _Go to sleep, my child. We have much to do tomorrow._ ” 

She quickly changes out of her uniform and into a nightdress before crawling under the sheets. “Wait…did you say you are one-hundred and nineteen, grandfather?” She asks.

A dark chuckle comes through the Link. “ _Yes, granddaughter. I am indeed that old._ ” He says.

“May I ask…how?” She asks hesitantly.

“ _I already answered that question, granddaughter. But I will answer it again. The Dark Side of the Force is the pathway to many abilities some would consider to be…unnatural…”_ He says.

Rey feels sleep consume her before she is able to come up with a response. 

**————Leia Organa POV————**

As Leia and the Resistance watch in horror, red beams fly past the transports the Resistance now reside on and strikes the planet of D’Qar. D’Qar, along with every other planet in the Ileenium system, detonates in a massive fiery explosion. Some members of the Resistance begin to cry, knowing that friends or family were still on the D’Qar base. Suddenly, a voice speaks up, “The First Order, they’ve done it.” 

All heads turn and Leia sees a face she doesn’t recognize. “Done what exactly, and who the hell are you?” She asks. 

The man's face falls. “I am Finn. I am the trooper that helped Poe Dameron escape. And as for what they have done, they have completed their new superweapon.” He says.

A few minutes later, everyone is gathered around a holo-table. Leia turns to Finn, “So Finn…what exactly is this superweapon?” She asks. 

“They call it…Starkiller Base.” Everyone gasps at that statement. 

“General!" A voice calls out, “The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report, along with giving us more information on the base.” Poe Dameron steps forward, eliciting gasps from the gathered Resistance members, and a cry of shock from Finn.

“They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself,” Snap says. “We’re not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale.”

A voice filled with terrified reminiscence says, “It’s another Death Star!” 

Poe sighs before saying, “I wish that were the case, Major.” Poe hits a button on the holo-table, and a model of the Death Star appears. “This was the Death Star…” He hits another button, and a model of Starkiller Base appears to gasps of horror, “And this…is Starkiller Base.”

“How is it possible to power a weapon of that size?” Admiral Ackbar asks.

“It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears.” Finn says.

Han Solo steps up to Leia’s side. “Okay, it’s big. How do we blow up? There’s always a way to do that.” He says, eliciting nods from the Resistance.

“Han’s right,” Leia says.

“In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator…” One Resistance admiral says.

“There is one,” Finn says, making his way around the holo-table to point at a location on the holo-display. “Precinct forty-seven. Here.” 

After a moment of thought, a Resistance admiral says, “ If we can destroy that oscillator, it might de-stabilize the core and cripple the weapon.” 

Another officer adds, “And maybe the planet…”

“We'll go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we got,” Poe says.

“They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate.” Admiral Ackbar says.

Han looks at Finn and says, “We disable the shields. Kid, you worked there, what do you got?”

Finn looks thoughtful before saying, “I can do it.” 

“I like this guy,” Han says with a smile.

Finn adds, “I can disable the shields. But I have to be there, on the planet…” 

“We’ll get you there,” Han says with a glance at Chewbacca. 

Leia looks at him, “Han…how?” She asks.

Han smiles at her, “If I told you, you wouldn’t like it.” He says with his classic Solo smirk.

Poe announces, “ So we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun. All right. Let's go!” 

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

Kylo Ren stands in his chambers when he feels a presence. “Han Solo…” He says, voice being modulated by his mask. He walks out of his chambers and makes his way to the command deck. “General Hux, I sense there is a Resistance strike team present on this planet.” He says.

Hux balks before smirking, “That’s impossible. Nothing can penetrate our shields.” He says to Ren. “Begin charging the weapon targeting the Hosnian System." He orders the First Order officers. Turning back to Kylo Ren, he adds, “This is the end of the Republic!”

Ren can no longer control his anger towards Hux, and he tightens his mental grip around Hux’s neck. Hux begins to gag. “I said…there is a Resistance team present on this base. Do you understand me now?” He asks.

“Yes, Ren.” He gags out. 

“Send a division to protect the oscillator. That will be their target.” Kylo orders.

“Yes sir!” One of the officers says. 

“I want them captured! Do not kill them. If they die, you die…” Kylo Ren orders. The commander gulps, but nods. 

“ _So…my father has finally decided to help my mother in her fight against the First Order. Hmm…He must have a good reason. He wanted to get as far away from the fighting as he could, I wonder what could have brought him back?”_ All of these questions run through Kylo Ren’s mind. 

A few minutes later, Kylo stands before a hologram of his master. “Supreme Leader, I sense my father is on this planet. I plan on facing him myself.” He says.

“The Knights of Ren have never faced such a test. If you kill your father, your journey to the Dark Side will be complete. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. And you will have finally become a true Sith.”

Kylo bows his head as the hologram disappears. “ _I am coming for you Han Solo…_ ”


	3. Chapter Three

**Previous chapter:**

A few minutes later, Kylo stands before a hologram of his master. “Supreme Leader, I sense my father is on this planet. I plan on facing him myself.” He says.

“The Knights of Ren have never faced such a test. If you kill your father, your journey to the Dark Side will be complete. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy. And you will have finally become a true Sith.”

Kylo bows his head as the hologram disappears. “ _I am coming for you Han Solo…_ ”

**Chapter 3(Training)**

**————Rey POV————**

As Rey’s eyes open, she notices that for the first time in her life, her body doesn’t ache. She is used to sleeping on the metal floor of her AT-AT walker and her body had grown used to the uncomfortable feeling of cold metal on her skin. On Jakku, metal was one of two temperatures; scalding during the day, and cold during the night. Being a desert planet, Jakku’s temperature varies significantly between night and day.

As Rey sits up, she hears a chuckle in her mind. “ _My my, granddaughter. You sure you got enough sleep?_ ” He asks. 

Rey starts when she hears that. “Did you just use sarcasm grandfather?” She asks, shock plain in her voice. 

He chuckles again, “ _Oh Rey. Just because I am ‘the evil emperor’, doesn’t mean I am not human. I grew up the same way everyone else does.”_ He falls silent for a minute before saying, “ _Alright, enough chatter. You need to begin your training. Put on your formal attire and make your way to the bridge. From there, have the commanding officer of this ship inform you of its capabilities. After that, I wish for you to fly back down to me so I can begin your training._ ” 

“Yes, grandfather,” Rey says, standing from the bed. She walks to the bathroom to prepare for the first day of her training. She splashes cold water on her face and smiles grimly at her reflection. What was once familiar is now unrecognizable. Her formerly sunburned and parched skin has made drastic changes, now reflecting the skin of the women she had seen on the Holo-net while watching it on Jakku. As she finishes washing her face, she makes her way back to the bedroom and puts on the outfit her grandfather picked out for her. 

As she pulled on the cloak, she looked in the mirror, and couldn’t help but grin. The cloak was mainly black but had a red tint to it. She slowly reached behind her head and pulled the hood on. The hood covered much of her face forehead, but her eyes and the rest of her face were still visible, though they were shadowed. Her brown eyes are now tinted red around the pupils. She finishes getting dressed, then walks out of her room and into the corridors of the massive Super Star Destroyer.

Waiting outside her room, an officer dressed in a black uniform lined in red stands waiting for her. “Good morning, milady. I have been ordered to escort you to the bridge.” The officer says.

Rey nods her ascent and follows the officer through long metal corridors. She can’t help but feel awe at the size of her grandfather’s fleet’s flagship. “ _It is your’s too now granddaughter._ ” The Emperor says in her head. 

She smiles, and responds internally, “Thank you, grandfather. You have already done more for me in a day and a half, then the rest of the galaxy has done in the past nineteen years.” 

She hears her grandfather sigh, “ _I know, granddaughter, and that angers me. The fact that the heir to the dark throne has almost been raped, and has had to struggle for food is ridiculous. You should have been raised bathed in wealth, trained every day in the ways of the dark side, and how to be a politician. Instead, you are nearly twenty years old, and last night was the first comfortable night of sleep you have ever gotten. I am sorry, dear Rey. If I had found you sooner…”_

Rey cuts her grandfather off. “Grandfather. It isn’t your fault. I am just grateful you found me at all. I was beginning to worry I would be stuck waiting for my parents for the rest of my life. Instead, you found me and gave me the two things I have wished for the most. Family and a home.” She says. 

Her grandfather says, “ _You’re welcome, my dear. I look forward to seeing you for training later, this afternoon. But for now, I recommend you continue to the bridge, and stop staring off into space._ ” He says, with laughter in his voice. 

She suddenly notices her surroundings once more and sees her escort looking at her worriedly. She nods for him to continue, and he wisely doesn’t question her. She continues to follow him, reaching a metal lift. She follows the officer into it and watches as he swipes a card he had slid in his front pocket. As soon as he does this, the lift shoots upwards, leaving Rey slightly disoriented. Before her grandfather had rescued her, she had never even seen a structure big enough to hold a lift, let alone ride in on.

After a few minutes at a high speed, the lift comes to a stuttering stop. The metal doors open, and Rey follows the officer onto the command deck. As she enters, the previously loud commotion of all the officers falls away, leaving only silence. A man dressed in the same outfit, but with three white stripes instead of the one stripe the man who escorted her had, steps forward, “Follow me, milady. We need to begin to instruct you on the basics of this fleet and the strategy behind running it.” 

Rey nods curtly and follows the man to a projector in the corner of the room. The man pulls out a chair for her and sits down. The man then places a headset over her head. “Milady, this is a virtual program we use on our new officers. It sums up the fleet, and gives the power and capabilities of every ship.” 

Rey nods, and the man presses a button on the display. A voice appears in her head, coming from the headset. “Welcome officer. You have succeeded in reaching near the top of the chain of command. Congratulations. But unfortunately, you have spent the past few years as a Sith Trooper whose only purpose was to follow orders. Due to that fact, this program will give you a simplified fleet summary, along with a range of power and capabilities. Pay attention, and remember as much as you can.” 

A moment later, images begin popping up on the display, along with numbers that Rey surprisingly instantly has an idea what they mean. One is the length of the Star Destroyers. A massive 3,200 in length. But when the schematics for the ship she is on pop up, her mouth drops. The _Ultimus_ is 30,000 meters in length. Rey knows from all the scavenging she did on Jakku that the _Ultimus_ , is the biggest, non-Death Star/Starkiller Base, battleship ever. 

When the weapon capabilities begin appearing, Rey’s awe grows, followed by a sense of victory. Every single Star Destroyer has a super laser on the hulls. Every single one of the over 50,000 Star Destroyers is capable of destroying a planet in one blast of power. But that isn’t what catches her eye. When the _Ultimus’_ weapon capabilities appear, Rey nearly falls out of her chair. The description reads, “Following the defeat of the Galactic Empire, our Emperor wanted to ensure he wouldn’t be defeated again, and with the help of many engineers, he invented the Force Drain weapon. This new weapon is a step into uncharted military technology, and for the first time, is able to combine both technology and The Force. This weapon requires a powerful Force user trained enough to be able to contain the backlash of the weapon. This weapon targets a habited planet and transfers the Force Essences of all living things on the targeted planet into the Force-user connected to the Power room on this ship. The Force user will then be able to transfer the power gained from this weapon into a ritual. Our Emperor has yet to disclose what the ritual does, but we can safely assume that it would make the Force user in question unstoppable.” 

As Rey finishes reading the description, she hears her grandfather laughing in her head. “ _So, my dear. What do you think of the weapon?_ ” He asks.

Rey takes a minute to collect her thoughts before saying, “I am amazed, grandfather. I never imagined a weapon of that capability was even possible. Although, I am now very curious as to what the ritual does.” She finishes.

Her grandfather chuckles darkly. “ _What does the ritual do? Oh, nothing much, just multiplies your power by over 50,000, and makes your life span near indefinite._ ” 

Rey takes a second to process that. “How is that possible? When do you plan on using it?” She asks.

Her grandfather chuckles again. “ _Oh, my dear child. I never plan on using it._ ” He says.

She feels confusion wash over her. “Then why build it?” She asks.

“ _I never plan on using it, but I said nothing about you._ ” He says.

Rey gasps. “Me? But I know nothing about the Force!” She exclaims.

He responds, “ _Do not fear, dear granddaughter, I will teach you everything I know.”_

“Why me, grandfather? Why not you? Why give all of this power to me, when you could take it for your self?” She asks.

“ _Because, dear Rey. I am over a hundred and nineteen years old. I have far outlived my power-seeking, psychopathic phase. I fear I do not have much time left to live. But the greatest reason is that in order to survive as long as I have, I have had to clone my body and use a Sith ritual to transfer my essence into the new body. Through this method, I have lost my connection to the Living Force, and now only have access to a small amount of the Force’s power. If I tried to absorb the power of millions, I would combust from the intake of power.”_ The former Emperor of the Galaxy says, a hint of reminiscing in his voice. “ _I began to worry I would have to resort to using the spawn of Vader, Kylo Ren, but then the Force lead me to you. You, my dear child, are my heir, and the future ruler of the whole galaxy, and Dark Lady of the Sith.”_ He finishes.

By the end of her grandfather’s story, Rey feels a lone tear run down her cheek. As she tries to collect her thoughts, the officer that instructed her interrupts, “Are you alright, milady?” He asks.

Rey glances up at him and forces herself to nod. “Yes. I am done here for now. Lead me to transport. It is time I see the Emperor.” She orders, wiping away the tear.

The man nods and walks away. A few minutes later, he returns and has her follow him. He leads her to a Sentinel-class transport, a ship very similar in appearance to the ones used by the Emperor. Rey uses her scavenging days to instantly recognize the sleek white transport, that supposedly both hr grandfather and Vader used. 

Once she is lead inside however, she can instantly tell that the ship she is now on, is much more advanced than the previous imperial ones. She makes her way to the bridge of the small ship, and dismisses the officer, telling him she is perfectly capable of flying unassisted. He agrees, giving her a comm to pin to her uniform.

Once she sits down in the captain’s chair and begins looking around, she notices just the kind of technology the ship has. A cloaking device and advanced shielding are the standouts. Along with an advanced pilot droid. Instead of activating the droid, Rey sits down and prepares the ship for takeoff. She flips a few switches and the lights in the bridge come to life. She reaches down and lifts up the control for the ship, and smiles as it takes off. She reaches for the comm, and activates it, “Release my ship.” She orders. An affirmative answer comes through, and the hanger doors around her ship open. She guides the ship towards the metal citadel where her grandfather lives.

The ship lands, and she walks down the ramp into the rainy atmosphere of Exegol, lightning striking the ground around her. She walks towards the metal citadel and notices for the first time the fact that the structure is floating. Around fifteen feet separate the ground she walks on from the metal ceiling above her head. 

She continues to walk forward, until reaching the metal lift. She descends deeper into the citadel, lightning continuing to strike the ground around her. She passes a clear test tube containing two humanoid creatures with a massive dent on the right side of their faces. She gasps when she recognizes them from Ren’s mind. “Snoke.” She whispers. 

She continues deeper into the citadel, passing through a narrow hallway before arriving at the impressive Dark Throne. As she enters the room, she sees the back of the throne and slowly walks around it so she faces it. Her grandfather isn’t present that she can tell, so she slowly takes a step towards the black throne. Then another. Then another. Until she reaches out her hand to touch it. Her hand shakes as it nears it, but Rey still touches it. When she does, her mind is overrun with another vision. 

**Her mind is thrown through many images in a short period of time. She, dressed in her Sith cloak, holding an unfamiliar double-bladed red lightsaber. Her being left on Jakku. Her parents telling her everything is going to be okay, as they walk towards a white X-Wing with orange stripes. The same man from her last vision appears again, brown cloak billowing in the wind as he now holds a green lightsaber. Kylo Ren appears again, and Rey is surprised to see him kneeling before her, with her on the Sith throne. As the vision comes to an end, Rey sees the man in the brown cloak raise his blue lightsaber, before swinging it at the cowering forms of her parents.**

As Rey exits her vision, she lets out a scream of agony, “NOOOOOO!” She roars. She breaths heavily and tries to calm herself down. Her fury has never fully encompassed her as it does now.

“ _What did you see, Rey?_ ” Her grandfather asks, worry clear in her face. She slowly looks up from her spot on the ground. 

“I saw so much, grandfather.” She says, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. “I saw me trained into a Sith. I saw my parents leaving me on Jakku. I saw a man in a brown cloak with a grey beard, holding a green lightsaber. I saw Vader’s grandson kneeling at my feet with me on the Sith throne. And I saw…” Her voice cracks under the pain of the words she is trying to say. “And I saw the same cloaked man swinging a blue lightsaber at my parents. He killed them, grandfather. He murdered them.” She says, tears now rolling down her face. 

Her grandfather sighs. “ _It is okay, my child. I can explain your vision to you._ ” He says.

Rey slowly rises, her shaking body from where it lies on the ground, and says shakily, “Thank you, grandfather.” 

Her grandfather smiles, “ _Anything for you, dear child.”_ He gently guides her out of the throne room, and down a corridor, she hadn’t seen before. They reach a lift and rise into the metal citadel. He leads her to a room with a mat on the floor. “ _This is the meditation chamber._ ” He says.

Rey nods, wiping away her tears. “I just don’t get it, grandfather. What was it that I saw?” She asks.

He smiles again. “ _My dear grandchild, you saw both the past and the future._ ”

She gasps, but then she feels sadness and anger overwhelm her once more. “That means that my parents were murdered by that man?” She asks.

The former Emperor of the galaxy turns to face the wall of the chamber before responding with, “ _Yes, Rey. They were murdered._ ” 

Rey’s eyes begin to turn red once more, before she asks coldly, “Who killed them? Who was that man with the blue and green lightsabers?” She asks.

“ _That was Luke Skywalker, son of Darth Vader_.” He says. 

At those words, the ground under their feet begins to shake at Rey’s rage. “That…that motherfucker murdered my parents! The supposed savior of the galaxy is a murderer!” She yells.

The Emperor smiles, but he can’t help the shock that overwhelms him from being displayed on his face as well. His grandchild is more powerful than he ever was, and she hasn’t even been trained. The turns from where he was facing the wall and for the first time in over a century, he feels both fear and pride. His granddaughter’s eyes glow a menacing red in color, and swirling around her is a storm of dark energy. The waves of power being exuded by her are off the charts. The Emperor’s eyes widen as he realizes that he forgot to block her Force signature. He sighs as he realizes that every Force-sensitive in the galaxy must sense the dark energy being displayed by the girl. 

After a few minutes when Rey calms down, he smiles at her. “ _Rey. I must say, I didn’t think the level of power you have was possible. I am beginning to think that we might not need to use the Force Drain weapon. You have more power than I thought was possible without rituals. I need to train you or your power may kill our own soldiers._ ” He says.

Rey smiles, but her smile is replaced once again by a frown. “Grandfather, why do I have so much power?” She asks.

The Emperor just looks at her before saying, “ _Because you are related to me.”_ He says with a straight face. 

Rey stares at him for a moment, watching as the Dark Lord of the Sith bursts into laughter. After calming down, he says, “B _ut really, granddaughter. I have no idea why you are so powerful. Your power rivals that of the ancient Sith emperor Darth Vitiate, and he is widely considered the second most powerful Sith of all time. Falling behind only Exar Kun.”_ Darth Sidious stares off into space, thinking of the potential of his new apprentice

The Emperor shakes himself, before turning to gaze at his grandchild. “ _We are done for the day, granddaughter. Fly back to the Ultimus and rest. You will need it. Your training begins in earnest tomorrow.”_

Rey, sensing her dismissal, turns to walk out of the room, but turns to face her grandfather once more.” Thank you for everything, grandfather.” She says, walking out of the meditation room and back to the metal lift. She takes it down to the throne room before walking back through the long corridor to the lab where Snoke is in a test tube. She continues walking, passing the towering statues, and back to the first metal lift. 

As she makes it to her ship, she asks her grandfather mentally, “Who are those statues, grandfather?” She asks.

His voice responds with, “ _They are the Four Sages of Dwartii. They were Old Republic sages well versed in the Dark Side._ ” 

Rey thanks him, and guides her ship back towards the _Ultimus._ She quickly orders through her comm for a hanger to be prepared for her. She waits for a second, before hearing the voice of one of her officers. “Milady, hangar one is for your personal use only. You may use it to keep your personal vessels, and to depart and arrive in.” 

Rey acknowledges the statement and guides her shuttle to hanger one at the front of the massive Super Star Destroyer. She lands her ship and makes her way into the hanger. Twenty Sith Troopers await her and stand on either side at attention as she walks down the ramp. She continues walking out of the hanger and makes her way back to her quarters. She presses her hand to the biometric scanner, and it glows green, unlocking the door. Rey walks in, and makes her way to the bathroom. She removes her Sith outfit, before once again enjoying the feeling of the warm water running down her skin. Once she exits the refresher, she walks to the mirror in her bathroom. She spends five minutes going over her face, rinsing it with the water from a faucet in front of her. As she looks at her reflection, she notices that her eyes are still their usual brown, but are rimmed in a glowing red color. Rey has never been vain, but she knows for a fact that she is a rare beauty, and her red-rimmed eyes only serve to add to that.

Rey knows that in the fifteen years she was alone in Jakku, she suffered. She had never once had enough to eat, and this had lead to her being thin. A knock at the door to her quarters jolts her out of her thoughts. She quickly makes her way to her bedroom and puts on a black undershirt, followed by a black cloak that covers her whole body, leaving no skin visible except that of her uncovered face. She makes her way to the door, and presses the control panel on the wall, opening the door. A woman in an officer's uniform stands outside her door, a tray of food in her hand. “I was sent to give you your evening meal, milady.” She says.

Rey nods and grabs the tray from the woman before walking back into her quarters, closing the door behind her with a thought. She places the tray on the table in her dining room and pulls out a chair to eat.

After finishing her meal, Rey makes her way back to her bedroom where she changes into her nighttime robes and climbs into bed. Once again marveling at how soft the sheets and blankets feel on her skin. The mattress feels like a cloud compared to the metal floor she used the sleep on. After a few minutes of thinking over the day's events, Rey closes her eyes and proceeds to succumb to sleep. 

**———— Luke Skywalker POV————**

As Luke sits on his mattress on the planet of Ahch-to, he sighs. He knows that some of the decisions he has made were not good ones. He lost his nephew because he thought about murdering him in his sleep. He lost any hope of saving the Emperor’s granddaughter when he cut her parents into pieces. And he lost Leia by abandoning her out of shame. 

Luke sighs again. He closes his eyes as he slowly lies his head back to go to sleep, but before he can, a wave of Dark Energy causes the Force to scream in agony. Luke shivers as he feels the hatred the dark power came from. Luke feels confusion rush over him. “I cut myself off from the Force! How can I sense this?” He thinks. “Is this wave of dark energy powerful enough to break my barriers? Who could have that much power? It couldn’t be Ben. He is too conflicted, even behind his mask of Kylo Ren. The Emperor’s granddaughter is on Jakku. No one will find her there. Even Snoke is not capable of exuding that level of dark energy.” 

As Luke feels his breathing slowly returns to normal, he groans. His sister’s voice fills his mind, “Luke. I need you, brother. Something terrible has happened. The First Order has a new, more powerful, version of the Death Star. But that isn’t the worst news. Apparently, the map to you was located by Lor San Tekka on Jakku, so I sent my best pilot there. He bore witness to Kylo killing Tekka. But that also isn’t the worst news. There was a girl on Jakku strong with the Dark Side. She was later captured by the First Order, but was able to both resist Kylo, and escape.” 

Luke feels his breath catch in his throat. “I am on my way, sister. Where are you?” He asks.

“The Endor System. We are hoping that the First Order won’t think to check here.” She says.

Luke cuts off the connection and slams the wall with a fist. “I should have killed the Emperor’s granddaughter when I killed her parents. I thought Jakku would hide her from the First Order.” He thinks, angry with himself. Another thought crosses his mind, “Who could be training her? She escaped the First Order, but there is no way she is that powerful without a knowledgable master.” 

He makes his way to the shore of Ahch-To, and lifts his X-Wing out of the water with the Force. He climbs into the ship and sets a course for Endor. “I am right back in the fight.” He thinks to himself.

**————Kylo Ren Pov————**

Kylo stands in his quarters, looking out of a window into open space. He hasn’t been able to get over the fact that the girl resisted him. Resisted the heir apparent to Darth Vader. “Who is she? How is she that powerful?” He asks himself.

As he goes to make his way into his bedroom, the most powerful wave of dark power he has ever felt washes over him. He gasps from the feeling of cold and hatred that comes with the power. He instantly dresses in his Kylo Ren uniform and makes his way to his holoprojector _._

He turns in the projector and sees his master sitting on the throne. He instantly assumes a kneeling position before his master. “Master. I am sure you felt the wave of dark power. Who could have that kind of power?” He asks.

Supreme Leader Snoke sits on the throne silently for a minute before saying, “I do not know, my young apprentice. Whoever it was, has more power than I have ever felt before. Even more than my master. We must be wary Ren. Keep the Knights of Ren with you at all times. If it is truly a Sith, they will try to conquerer the galaxy. We can’t let that happen. Return to me on the _Supremacy._ We must discuss what must be down about this rival to our power.” Snoke says.

Ren nods his head, and walks out of the room, heading for his ship. “You live to see another day, Han Solo.” He thinks as he boards his ship.


	4. Chapter Four

**Previous chapter:**

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

He turns in the projector and sees his master sitting on the throne. He instantly assumes a kneeling position before his master. “Master. I am sure you felt the wave of dark power. Who could have that kind of power?” He asks.

Supreme Leader Snoke sits on the throne silently for a minute before saying, “I do not know, my young apprentice. Whoever it was, has more power than I have ever felt before. Even more than my master. We must be wary Ren. Keep the Knights of Ren with you at all times. If it is truly a Sith, they will try to conquerer the galaxy. We can’t let that happen. Return to me on the _Supremacy._ We must discuss what must be down about this rival to our power.” Snoke says.

Ren nods his head, and walks out of the room, heading for his ship. “You live to see another day, Han Solo.” He thinks as he boards his ship.

**Chapter 4(A New Sith)**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

As Rey’s eyes open, the previous day’s events return to her. Her hatred towards Luke Skywalker increases. “He murdered my parents and left me on a desert planet in the middle of nowhere.” She thinks to herself. 

She slowly sits up in bed, the sheets falling off her chest. Her night clothes only a thin red material don’t hide much from view. After a minute to calm down and collect her thoughts, Rey makes her way to her bathroom where she once again rinses her face with cold water, looking in the mirror. Her eyes, which the previous day had only been rimmed in red, are now slowly shifting from brown to red. Her previously dry skin has made leaps and bounds since her grandfather rescued her, and is now softer than anything Rey thought possible. 

Rey walks back to her bedroom, putting on her Sith uniform and making her way out of her quarters. She walks briskly through the halls of the _Ultimus,_ causing officers and Sith Troopers alike to stand at attention. She makes her way to the bridge, and once again watches the stimulation about the Sith Fleet. She learns that her grandfather has more ships than just the ones in the air on Exegol. He has multiple ships that were commonly used during the Old Sith Empire. One of these being the incredibly dangerous Eclipse-class ship, also equipped with a superlaser. The Sith fleet has also produced a small number of advanced transports that are modeled after the Fury-class ship commonly used by Darth Malgus. The Sith Empire is also in the process of building a thousand Harrower-class dreadnoughts. 

Once Rey finishes her daily briefing on the Sith fleet, she turns to an officer and says, “I want a Fury-class transport in my hanger. I expect it when I get back.” She orders.

Without waiting for a response, she walks out of the bridge and heads to her hanger. She boards her transport that she used the day before, and heads towards the Sith Eternal Citadel. Once she arrives, she once again descends down the metal lift, into the heart of the planet Exegol. She continues walking, ignoring the test tubes containing Snoke, and walking into the throne room. Her grandfather awaits her, hanging on his metal arm. 

“ _Welcome back, granddaughter. Today we begin your training in combat. Normally I would teach my apprentice how to use the Force, but you are the most powerful Force user I have ever seen. You should have no trouble incorporating it into your combat.”_ Darth Sidious says.

Rey nods, and asks, “What is the first step, grandfather?” 

He smiles at her, “ _The first step of your training is to teach you the seven forms of lightsaber combat. From there, you will master them all so that in combat you can switch between many different forms to confuse your opponents.”_ He has the metal arm set him on a metal wheelchair contraption which rolls him towards the metal lift then took the day before. “ _Follow me granddaughter._ ” 

They ascend the lift, and Sheev leads her into a room shadowed in darkness. He gestures with his left hand, and old lights on the ceiling turn on. “ _This was the training room for ancient Sith._ ” He informs her.

He leads her over to a wall where many triangular objects hang. He reaches up and grabs the one at the top left of all of them. “ _This is a Sith Holocron, granddaughter. The knowledge of the ancient Sith has been passed on for generations through these. This particular holocron contains knowledge on the first form of lightsaber combat._ ” He hands it to her. “ _This is your first test as my apprentice. Only a true Sith can open a Sith holocron._ ” 

Rey nods, and walks over to a table that sits against the wall. She places the holocron on the table and sits down crossed legged. She closes her eyes, and focuses on her hatred and lust for revenge and power. She hears a splitting sound and opens her eyes to see the holocron glowing red and rising off the table, forming into a complex design with a glowing orb of light in the middle. “ _Well done, Rey. I am happy to say that Sith holocrons are much easier to use than Jedi ones. Slowly reach out your right hand, and place it on the glowing white orb. The knowledge stored within will be yours._ ” The Emperor says.

Rey slowly extends her arm, her hand nearing the surface of the glowing orb. She slowly eases it until it touches the orb. Instantly, her eyes snap wide open, and a flood of images streams into her mind. A few seconds later, she returns to normal, knowing everything there is to know about the most basic lightsaber form Shii-Cho. She knows that it is common for Jedi to use it, because its form is based on wide arcing strikes designed to disarm rather than maim or kill. 

She nearly scoffs as she thinks about the Jedi. The man who murdered her parents is a Jedi, and it is most likely he uses Shii-Cho. Rey stands up and turns to her grandfather. “I understand Shii-Cho, grandfather. What is next?” She asks.

He smiles. “ _In order for you to become a true Sith, you must first understand the code of the Sith._ ” He rolls back to the wall of holocrons and grabs a black one sitting in the middle of the shelves. He rolls back to her and hands her the holocron. She sits it on the table and resumes her meditative posture. She closes her eyes and reaches out towards the holocron. When she does, it opens, and a deep, echoing voice comes out, “Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I can victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.” 

As the voice recites it, Rey uses her memory to remember every word. Once the voice finishes, the holocron closes and descends back to the table.

The Emperor says, “ _That is the code of the Sith, Rey. Remember it, and be prepared to recite it when I ask.”_

Rey nods, and turns back to her grandfather. “What is next?” She asks eagerly.

The Emperor smiles before gesturing with his left hand. The holocron containing the Sith Code returns to the wall, and six more holocrons land on the table in front of Rey. “ _Use these. After that, we will begin construction on your lightsaber._ ” He says. Rey nods, and focuses her mind on opening each one. 

Fifteen minutes later, Rey comes to her grandfather. “I have finished, grandfather, and I have a suggestion for which form I should use. If you allow me, that is.” She says.

He looks curious. “ _Which form, granddaughter?”_ He asks.

She smiles, “Or should I say forms. Back on Jakku, I had a long bo-staff that I used to protect myself. Over the years I got very good at using it. I noticed that Niman is commonly used for double-bladed lightsaber combat, and also utilizes the Force abilities of the user. You have told me that I am unnaturally strong with the Force, so that should be a good form to choose. Then what if I combined Niman with Juyo. I would use the Force to strengthen my attacks, and channel the Dark Side, rather than the opponents negative emotions.” She says.

The Emperor has to stop himself from gaping at his granddaughter. Her intelligence is off the charts, along with her power. He hides his surprise behind a smile. “ _That is very well thought out, Rey. Yes, that is an excellent idea. The combination of the two is something my first apprentice attempted. He mastered Niman, but was never able to fully master Juyo. He is still known as one of the best lightsaber combatants ever. If you are able to master both, along with the fact that your Force power is much greater than Maul’s, you will be able to take on a hundred Jedi at once, and still easily win._ ” He says proudly.

Rey’s eyes widen. “Maul? Darth Maul was trained by you?” She asks.

He looks somewhat hurt. “ _Yes. I trained him from birth. Why? Who else would have trained him?”_ He asks.

Rey shrugs. “I don’t know, grandfather.”

He sighs, gesturing for her to follow him. He leads her over to a wooden work bench where many metal materials sit in different compartments. A metal box with golden designs sits in the middle of the desk. “ _That box contains kyber crystals. Your next test is to open that box._ ” He says.

Rey nods, and walks forwards to inspect the box. She picks it up, and turns it over in her hands. Then she returns it to its spot on the table, and reaches out with her left hand. Her right hand soon follows, and she gestures both hands away from one another, using her power to pull the box apart. As she does this, her aura of dark energy returns. The screeching of metal being ripped fills the air. With a final bang, the box separates cleanly in two. On the desk between the two halves, sit two glowing red crystals. 

The former Emperor of the Galaxy just stands in shock. Over five millennia, thousands of Sith had spent hours trying to open the metal box to no avail. In less then a minute, his granddaughter had ripped it apart using pure strength. The crystals in the box had a prophecy attached to them. It is said that the one who wields the fabled crystals, will finally be able to tip the balance to the dark forever. 

His thoughts are interrupted by Rey saying, “Grandfather? Are you all right? Did I pass the test?” She asks.

The Emperor begins to laugh. Rey looks confused until he says, “ _Granddaughter, that test was supposed to be impossible. Instead, you passed it in minutes. I think it is time you build your lightsaber._ ” He says.

Rey smiles, but the aura of power surrounding her still remains. “Thank you grandfather.” Her smile vanishes. “What do you mean that was supposed to be impossible?” She asks.

He just looks at her for a second before responding, “ _Thousands of Sith have tried opening that box. All of them failed. There were even three different Sith who spent their whole lives trying to open that box. There is a prophecy attached to those Kyber crystals. It says that whoever shall wield those crystals possesses the power to tip the galactic scale into the dark for the rest of time._ ” He says.

Rey just looks at him blankly. “So what you are saying is that I can now destroy the Jedi once and for all?” She asks.

The Emperor just nods. A moment of silence follows, being broken by the Emperor saying, “ _Build your lightsaber, granddaughter. Then meet me in the throne room._ ” After saying that, the Emperor has his mechanical wheels take him out of the room.

“He didn’t tell me how to make my lightsaber.” Rey thinks to herself. 

Instead of calling after him for help, Rey sits down on the bench in front of the workbench. She stares at the two crystals for a second, contemplating what to do. She slowly reaches out and picks up one crystal in each hand. The second her hands touch the crystal, she is given another vision. This one is simple, and contains only two images.

**Rey sits on the Sith Throne and a man dressed in a black robe stands besides her. The man wears a mask that seems to be held together by red lava. The next image shows the same man in front of her kneeling. In his hand, the head of Luke Skywalker is being presented to her.**

Rey gasps as her mind processes what she just saw. She recognized Kylo instantly. His mask has had major changes though. The red lava that holds his mask together wasn’t there when she was captured by The First Order. She feels a shiver of anticipation and joy runs down her spine when she pictures the decapitated head of her parent’s murderer. The fact that confuses her is why Kylo would have been standing at her side, so close to her.

She shakes her head and returns her focus to the task at hand. She gently places her crystals back on the table and closes her eyes, placing both of her hands on her knees, palms up. She feels the Force guide her movements, molding her saber to be the best fit for her. When a few minutes later she opens her eyes, pride runs through her. 

On the table sits the most beautiful object she has ever seen. It is made of silver metal, and has rings of black and red on it. The rings outline where her hands should go. The part of her saber that confuses her the most is the base. Instead of being a straight line like most double-bladed sabers are, hers has a black connector holding two parallel blades together, forming a U shape.

She reaches down and picks it up carefully. As she does, she feels the ground beneath her feet shake. She places the blade in her right hand, and wills the blade to ignite. Two parallel blades, separated by mere inches come to life. They glow a bright crimson, but are tinged with shadows. Out of instinct, she gestures with the hand holding the saber, and the saber swings down into a traditional double-bladed saber. 

Rey looks at the blade in awe for a few more minutes, before deactivating it, and attaching it to her uniform’s belt. She walks out of the room, and onto the metal lift. She walks into the throne room, and sees her grandfather sitting at the base of the steps leading to the throne. She walks up to him and he looks up at her. “ _Done already?_ ” He asks, his eyes going to the saber on her belt. 

She nods, reaching down to grab the saber from her belt. She places it in her right hand once more, and watches her grandfather’s eyes widen in anticipation. “ _Well…go on then_.” He says, Rey smirks at how eager the former Emperor is to see her blade.

She ignites the two glowing blades, and her grandfather’s eyes widen in shock and confusion. “ _Why is it shaped like that, granddaughter?_ ” He asks.

She just grins, and gestures once more with the hand holding the saber. The saber swings down into its traditional form. The Emperor’s eyes widen even farther. He reaches out a hand, “ _May I see the blade, granddaughter?”_ He asks.

Rey nods and hands the blade to him, deactivating it in the process. He takes it in both hands, and inspects it closely. After a minute he passes the blade to her. “ _I see no flaws in the design, although I must say, this is the first blade like this I have ever seen. How did you come up with the design?”_ He questions.

She nods her head before saying, “The Force guided my hand, grandfather.” She answers.

He nods. “ _We may need to develop a new fighting style for this blade to work, although I must say that the design is genius. A skilled fighter may be able to trap his or her opponent’s weapon in between the two blades, and then use Force abilities such as Force Lightning to defeat the opponent._ ” 

Rey just nods again before saying, “I had another vision when I touched the crystals, grandfather.” 

He frowns. “ _What was in your vision, Rey?_ ” He asks.

“I was sitting on the Sith throne.” She says, gesturing at the black throne in front of her. “And Kylo was standing at my side. What confuses me is that he was much closer to me than I feel a subordiante would be.” 

The Emperor’s eyes widen, but he gestures for her to continue her story. “In the next image, Kylo was kneeling before me, presenting me the head of Luke Skywalker.” She says.

The Emperor remains silent for a minute, before saying, “ _We need to accelerate our time table, granddaughter. Go back to the training room and use all of the Sith Holocrons on that wall. After that, begin training with your saber. There are some advanced lightsaber training droids in that room. They are made out of an indestructable material._ ” 

Rey nods, and turns to leave the room. As she reaches the corridor to the metal lift, she hears her grandfather call after her, “ _Be prepared in the morning. Tomorrow, you are going on a solo mission to a remote outpost in the outer rim. If you do well on this assignment, you will become empress and command the Final Order fleet, and we will at last reveal ourselves to the galaxy. At last, the Sith will return!”_

She doesn’t acknowledge the statement, just continues walking, deep in thought. After reaching the training room, she walks to the empty stone table and gesturns with her right hand, causing all of the holocrons, except the Sith code one, to float over to her table. She closes her eyes, and lets the Force guide her through the holocrons. 

After watching all seven of the ones about lightsaber combat, she watches one about ancient Sith Force abilities. One is called Force Storm, and allows the user to summon a massive amout of Force Lightning. That particular ability was said to be incredibly hard to use, but if used to the full extent of its capabilities, the Force user could take out a whole fleet of ships. 

Rey smirks after reading that. She remembers from the stories told about her grandfather that he was very good at using Force Lightning. As she touches the orb a the center of the final holocron, a wave of knowledge floods her mind, causing her to gasp. The knowledge she gets is all about ancient Sith rituals. The amount of dark rituals the holocron contains causes Rey to gasp again. “How in the hell did the ancient Sith lose with the knowledge this contains? There is even a Sith ritual to kill an enemy if you have the blood of said enemy.” 

Shaking her head, she moves to stand up when she is struck by a memory. 

**Rey stands in line at Unkar Plutt’s part exchange stand on Jakku. After getting her daily ration, she turns to walk back to her walker. As she exits Niima Outpost, a man with an electric bo-staff hits her in the leg, causing the pain of electricity to rush through her. As Rey wakes up a few hours later, she blinks her eyes open slowly. She looks down at her lower body, and notices she is completely naked. She cries out and tries to jerk her hands down, but her hands are tied to a metal pole. In front of her sits a human male, looking at her in a way that makes her want to disappear. “You are are beautiful one. I have been trying to have you for months.” The man says.**

**Rey just cries out in fear and horror. The man laughs and begins to walk towards her. He stops in front of her, and reaches down to caress her cheek. “This will be much easier for you if you just accept what I will do to you.” He says.**

**She just continues to cry out in hopes that someone will hear her. The man laughs once more. “Oh girl, no one will save you. No one cares about you. I have done my research on you. You have no family and no money, the only good thing about you is your body.” He leers at her as he says this.**

**The hand that previously caressed her cheek, moves down and begins to fondle her right breast. She sobs and whimpers, but knows that there is nothing she can do. The man smiles. “Good girl. You have accepted your fate.”**

**She continues to whimper, but closes her eyes. The man’s other hand reaches down for her left breast and squeezes her nipple. Ever so slowly, his hands make their way down her stomach, and in between her thighs. She gasps in a twisted sort of pleasure when she feels his hand gently caress her lower lips. The pleasure disappears when she remembers what is happening to her. She is being raped.**

**The man just laughs at her pleas for him to stop. Instead, the man aggressively slides is middle finger into her. She cries out in pain as she is streatched beyond what she has ever been before. While the man has one hand working on her lower lips, he uses her other hand to aggressively grab her hair and forces her mouth to his. Her cries are muffled by his mouth, and she slowly begins to lose consciousness from the aggressiveness of her attacker. Just before she does, she cries out in anger and hatred, and the last thing she sees is the mans head exploding, scattering blood and gore around the room.**

When Rey returns to her body on Exegol, she notices she is on the floor with tears freely flowing down her face. “ _Granddaughter, are you alright?_ ” The concerned voice of her grandfather asks.

She slowly shakes her head no. “ _What happened? What did you see?_ ” He asks.

She slowly begins to calm down and her sobs turn into sniffles. “I reexperienced the first time I was raped by a man.” She says quietly.

The Emperor feels his eyes widen. “ _I thought you said you were ALMOST raped, not that you WERE raped.”_ He says.

Rey wipes her face and slowly responds, “I had just met you and didn’t yet know if I could fully trust you.” She says.

He sighs. “ _I am so sorry you had to experience that, my dear child. How many times?_ ” He asks.

Rey sighs, old memories appearing unbiden in her mind. “Three times, grandfather. None of them actually fully raped me.” Her formerly horror filled face turns into a grim smile, “And none of them survived.” She says.

The Emperor smiles. “ _You killed them?_ ” He asks.

She smiles. “Yes. I made their heads explode. At the time, I thought I was going crazy because I didn’t know what the Force was, or how to use it.” She says, and her body is racked with a shivver.

The Emperor looks at her sympathetically. “ _Go back to the Ultimus and rest, granddaughter. We can continue your training tomorrow.”_ He says.

Rey furiously shakes her head. “No grandfather. Rest is exactly what I don’t need right now. Rest is time when these memories will resurface once more. If I continue my training, my mind will remain occupied.” She says forcefully.

The Emperor looks at her with concern shining in his eyes, but nods his head in ascent. “ _Okay, my dear. Then let us begin your instructions in lightsaber combat. Draw your blade._ ” He orders.

Rey smiles, the last traces of her tears disappearing. She reaches for the beautiful blade on her belt and places it in her right hand, activating the beautiful red blades. Her grandfather points to three droids in the corner of the room, saying, “ _Go activate those droids. I would train you myself, but I am no longer what I used to be._ ” He says sadly.

Rey nods, looking at her grandfather sadly. She gestures with her right hand and the droids glide over to her. She presses a button on the neck of each one, and glowing red eyes come to life. One of the droids activates a red single-bladed saber, the second activates one double-bladed saber, and the third activates a single-bladed saber in each hand. “ _Granddaughter, start with the single-bladed one, and work your way up to the harder ones._ ” He says.

Rey nods, and presses a button on the single-bladed saber droid’s chest. The droid moves into the open, and a timer counting down from ten appears on its chest. Rey quickly swings her saber into the traditional double-bladed form, and prepares to defend herself.

Once the timer reaches zero, the droind swings its blade at her. She easily blocks it, and gracefully dodges the next strike. Swapping the blade into her left hand, Rey blocks the next downward strike, and ducks under the droid’s gurad, thrusting the other end of her blade into the droid’d chest. The droid’s armor holds, but it deactivates.

The Emperor’s eyes widen once more, and he bursts into laughter. “ _I had a feeling you would learn quickly, Rey, but you are already the best saber fighter I have ever seen. It is like the blade is an extension of your body, and you move it as gracefully as such.”_ He compliments her.

She smiles, “Thank you, grandfather. May I try the next droid now?” She asks.

The Emperor smiles. “ _Be my guest. I am eager to see how you handle a double-bladed attacker, even when it is very unlikely you will face a Jedi weilding one._ ” 

Rey nods, and using the Force, activates the double-bladed saber droid. As the previous droid had a timer, so does this one, and Rey patiently waits for the timer to reach zero. When it does, she is surprised by the flurry of attacks she is put under, but she still manages to block or dodge every strike. Then the droid begins to rotate its mechanical hand holding the saber at a high speed, and the saber turns into a red shield of energy. Rey just smirks and returns her blade to its U shape. She then thrusts the blade towards the center of the droinds shield, and the droid’s lightsaber is destroyed. “Hmm. The droid is indestructable, but its saber is not.” She thinks to herself.

“ _Well done, Rey. That was a very creative use of your blade’s design._ ” Darth Sidious says.

Rey smiles, “Thank you, grandfather. I am going to try the third droid now.” She says, and gestures with her left hand to move the fallen droid.

She uses the Force to activate the droid and then she waits for the timer to reach zero. Once it does, Rey expects the droid to leap at her, but instead it holds back, waiting for her to make the first move. Rey smirks, excited for the challenge. She rushes forwards, swinging her blade back into its traditional double-bladed form. She lashes out, and focusing on her muscles, she transfers some of her Force energy to increase the strength behind her strike.

She used too much power. Her strike sent the droid barreling into the stone wall at the far end of the room, denting the stone. The droid falls onto the floor, and doesn’t move again. Rey turns to look at her grandfather, and his mouth is gaping in shock. “ _How? How did you have that much power behind your strike?_ ” He asks.

She looks confused, “I transfered some of my Force energy to my muscles, allowing for me to swing harder.” She responds. 

He gapes at her again. “ _That is supposed to be impossible too.”_ He says, “ _You are supposed to use the Force to strengthen your blow through the blade itself, instead you used your power to increase your physical strength. The only known way to increase your physical strength for a Sith is to use a blood ritual. Or should I say was the only known way.”_ He finishes.

Rey looks at her grandfather for a moment before smiling, she closes her eyes, and concentrates on her grandfather’s muscles and bones. With a quick push, she transfers a small amount of power into him.

He gasps and looks at her in shock, “ _What did you do?”_ He asks.

Rey smiles, “I gave you some of my power so that you could walk on your own again.” She responds happily.

He remains silent for a minute before slowly stepping off his wheel chair. He lets out a cry, and only Rey’s quick telekinetic help keeps him from falling. “ _Thank you, granddaughter. I haven’t walked in over eighteen years. I have been searching for a cure to my ailments, but couldn’t find one._ ” 

Rey just smiles, “It is the least I could do, grandfather. You saved me. You gave me the two things I have always wanted. A home and family.” She responds.

He just smiles at her. “ _We are done for the day granddaughter. Return to the Ultimus and rest. You have your first mission tomorrow._ ” He says, and he slowly walks towards the door. “ _As I said earlier, if you do well on this mission, our war to take back the galaxy may begin._ ” He says.

Rey nods, and makes her way to stand before him. “Thank you, grandfather.” Before he can protest, she hugs him, nearly gasping after feeling how bony and frail her grandfather is.

She quickly releases him and walks out the door. Making her way to the lift, and descending it back to the throne room. She walks past the throne, smiling when she pictures herself sitting on it to rule the galaxy. 

Once reaching her transport, she flies it back to hanger one on the Ultimus. She lands her ship and walks down the ramp. She smiles when she sees a ship she recognizes as a Fury-class ship sitting in the left corner of her hanger. Rey walks closer to it, and inspects the ship. She enters the lowered ramp, and makes her way to the bridge of the ship. She sits down in the captains chair, and notices a black button with the word _cloak_ under it. She smiles once more when she realizes that her new ship has a cloaking device. 

She stands up, patting the captains chair in anticipation for flying it in the morning on her mission. She exits the ship, and makes her way towards the exit to hanger one where two Sith troopers stand. They both stand at attention as she walks past them. Rey walks through the corridors before deciding to head to the bridge before her quarters. She follows the path she remembers from her vision to the bridge, and when she enters, all of the officers and Sith Troopers salute her, “What are you doing here, milady?” Allegiant General Pryde asks.

She looks coldly at him. “I don’t need a reason to be on the bridge of my capital ship.” She says. Before adding, “I am going on a mission tomorrow morning. If all goes according to plan, our assault of the rest of the galaxy should begin in around a week.” She says.

Her words draw a sneer from the Allegiant General. “May I ask what your mission is, milady?” He says.

Rey sneers at him, “You may, but it won’t get you an answer as I don’t know either. My grandfather is going to brief me in the morning.” She says. “I want six Sith Troopers in my hanger in the morning, ready to accompany me on my mission.” She orders.

Pryde sneers at her in return, but nods his head. “I may need to get rid of him.” Rey thinks to herself as she exits the bridge. 

She makes her way to her quarters, and places her hand on the biometric scanner. The pad turns green, and her door opens. She walks in and heads to the bedroom, reaching into the dresser to pull out an outfit for her to sleep in, along with a clean version of her Sith uniform. She places the Sith uniform on a bench next to her bed, along with deattaching her lightsaber and hanging it on a display above her dresser. She then carries the outfit for the night into the bathroom. She carefully removes her old Sith outfit, and places it on a hook on the door. 

Rey then turns on the refresher and steps in. She allows the warm water to wash away the sweat and dust from the days events. She picks up a bar of soap, and begins to wash every part of her body. Once she is done, she walks out of the refresher and grabs a towel off a hook next to the refresher. After carefully drying herself, she puts on her night outfit, and walks over to her sink. She carefully pulls out her hair tie, allowing it to fall in waves around her. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Rey notices that her eyes are still brown, but that the red is slowly begining to consume the brown. The ring of red around the edge of her eyes, had begun to expand. 

Rey makes her way to bed and gets into it. She pulls up the sheet, and closes her eyes, thinking of the days events. Right before sleep consumes her, the image of the man’s head exploding fills her mind. 

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

Luke’s X-Wing lands on the edge of the resistance base on Endor, and Luke carefully jumps out. His old bones having a hard time dealing with the long flight. He begins to walk towards the command center, members of the Resistance pointing at him in awe. He frowns when he notices that nearly everyone is absent, and so are all the Resistance’s ships.

He sighs. The publicity from saving the galaxy twice is something he doesn’t like. After a few minutes of walking, he arrives at the command center. He walks in, and his eyes are instantly drawn to Leia and her officers huddling around a display. He walks towards them and sighs once more when he hears a voice saying, “Master Luke!” He turns around and sees the golden C-3PO walking towards him, red arm standing out against the rest of him.

Leia turns around after hearing C-3PO, and her eyes land on him. A small smile appears on her previously anxious face. She slowly walks towards him. With the eyes of all the Resistance officers on them, she embraces him. “Just in time, brother. The Resistance is in the process of destroying the superweapon.” 

Luke’s eyes widen, realizing that that is where everyone is. “How is it going? Where’s Han?” He asks.

Leia frowns at his question. “It is not going well. We have nearly destroyed the Oscillator keeping the base operational, but we have suffered major casualties. Out of the original seventy pilots, only fifteen remain. And as for Han, I don’t know where he is, but I sense he is unharmed.” She says.

Luke nods, but before he can respond, he is cut off by a cheer of victory over the comms, and the officers before the holo-display, soon cheer as well. “Generals, the weapon has been destroyed. They are returning to base.”

Leia’s smile appears, and Luke can’t help but smile too. Seeing his sister happy is something he has always enjoyed. 

Leia dismisses the officers and gestures for Luke to follow her. She leads him to a seat, and sits across from him. “I missed you, brother. We have really needed you.” She says.

Luke looks down, shame it his actions flooding through him. “I am so sorry, Leia. After what happened with…” He trails off.

Leia feels her sadness return, “Ben.” She supplies.

Luke nods. “After what happened with Ben, I couldn’t bring myself to face you or Han. This is my fault, Leia. I created the two greatest threats this galaxy has ever known.”

“Ben wasn’t your fault, Luke.” She says, but she frowns. “Wait, _two_ greatest threats? What is the second?” She asks.

Luke looks down. “I know who that wave of dark power came from.” He says. Then he looks her in the eyes. “It is _his_ granddaughter, Leia.” 

Leia frowns. “Whose?” She asks worriedly.

Luke sighs, “The Emperor’s. Darth Sidious has a granddaughter. I killed her parents and left a six year old girl on a planet named Jakku. I hoped that she would be isolated there, and would never learn of her heritage. Now she is being trained, and most likely wants to finish what her grandfather began. To rule the entire galaxy.” He says.

Leia looks at him in disappointment. “You handled her situation very badly, Luke. Instead of giving her a reason to respect you, you gave her a reason to hate you more than anything.” 

Luke looks at the floor. “I know, Leia. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but at the time, it seemed like a good thing to do.” 

Leia sighs, “Oh Luke. Now we are dealing with Ben and the First Order, and the Emperor’s granddaughter. You and I can’t beat them all, Luke. We need the Jedi.” She says.

Luke frowns. “I don’t know, Leia. Last time I tried training a new generation of Jedi, I instead created the new Sith apprentice to Snoke.”

Leia smiles again. “That is why I am going to help you this time.” She says.

Luke looks at her in surprise. “I thought you decided to lay down your saber, because you sensed a terrible possibility in your future.” He says.

Leia feels her chest tighten. “What I feared has already occured. I feared for my son’s life. He is as good as dead now.” She says sadly.

Luke stands up and walks over to her, wrapping his twin in a hug. “We can still win this, Leia. We can still save Ben. His light is not yet extinguished.” He says.


	5. Chapter Five

**Previous chapter:**

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

Leia smiles again. “That is why I am going to help you this time.” She says.

Luke looks at her in surprise. “I thought you decided to lay down your saber because you sensed a terrible possibility in your future.” He says.

Leia feels her chest tighten. “What I feared has already occurred. I feared for my son’s life. He is as good as dead now.” She says sadly.

Luke stands up and walks over to her, wrapping his twin in a hug. “We can still win this, Leia. We can still save Ben. His light is not yet extinguished.” He says.

**Chapter 5(The Return of the Sith Begins)**

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

As the black command shuttle of Kylo Ren lands in a hanger on the _Supremacy_ , Kylo prepares himself for his encounter with his master. He knows that his master will most likely have a mission for him, a way to investigate the source of the mysteriously powerful dark energy. 

Once his ship lands, Kylo walks out of the exit ramp of his ship. Standing at attention outside of his ship are his Knights of Ren. He walks past them, making his way to the throne room where his master awaits his arrival. When he arrives, the metal doors open vertically, and he walks in. His master Supreme Leader Snoke sits on a throne in the center of the room, wearing what appear to be golden pajamas. Kylo feels amusement at his master’s fashion choice but knows better than to express those feelings. He walks forward until he stands before his master and drops to a knee. “Master.” He intones.

“Rise, my young apprentice. We have some information to discuss.” Kylo stands up at those words.

Snoke gestures with his right hand, summoning a chair from the corner of the room. “Sit.” He orders. 

Kylo sits on the chair and turns to face Snoke. “Why have you summoned me, master?” Kylo asks.

“I have a mission for you. I have discovered information on a likely location for the source of the dark energy wave. I believe it comes from a planet called Exegol, an ancient Sith world.” Snoke says.

Kylo nods, “Okay, master. Where is this Exegol?” He asks.

“That is where our problem is. The planet Exegol is protected under ancient Sith rituals, and can only be reached using a Sith Wayfinder. I believe I have discovered the location of one of these Wayfinders. Your mission is to go to the planet Mustafar and find this Wayfinder. Once you have done that, follow it to Exegol. You should be more than a match for any Sith who still exists, even one with the level of power that dark energy wave suggests. Take your Knights of Ren with you and do not return into you have dealt with this threat to our reign.” Snoke orders.

Kylo Ren bends his head in acceptance, “Yes, my master.” He says, and with a billowing cloak, he walks out of the throne room. He walks back to the hanger and orders his Knights onto his command shuttle. The ship takes off, and Kylo feels anticipation rise at the possibility of figuring out who the mysterious source of dark energy is.

As the blue lines of hyperspace appear before him, Kylo wonders what the search for the Wayfinder will entail.

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

As Rey’s eyes open, she sits up in bed, excitement running through her mind. “Today is the day.” Rey thinks. “I am going on a mission, and I can finally prove myself against real opponents.” 

She gets out of bed and makes her way to the bathroom, grabbing her Sith uniform on the way. Rey pulls off her nightclothes and slips into her Sith uniform. She looks into the mirror and can’t help but grin. The combination of her nearly red eyes and the red-tinted black cloak is perfect. She makes her way to the door of her quarters and points her right hand behind her in a grabbing motion. Her lightsaber flies into her hand, and Rey walks out of her quarters.

She makes her way to hanger one and gestures for the six Sith Troopers to follow her onto the Fury-class transport. They all six sit down in the hold of the ship, and Rey makes her way to the bridge. She guides the ship out of the hanger and towards the Sith citadel. She lands the ship and exits it, ordering, “Stay here and await my return.” 

She walks into the citadel, walking onto the metal lift. The lift descends and Rey begins to think about what the day may hold. She walks past the lab containing Snoke and into the throne room. Waiting on the steps up to the throne is her grandfather. “ _I am going to keep your mission briefing short, granddaughter. Set a course for Mustafar. North of Vader’s palace, there is an alter. The object in the center of it is what is called a Sith Wayfinder. Destroy it. Because you are my heir, and the heir to the Sith throne, you will be able to get back here without a Wayfinder._ ” He says.

Rey nods and turns to leave the throne room. “ _Granddaughter. There will be enemies called the Alazmec of Winsit. They were a cult dedicated to following Darth Vader. Wipe them out. All of them. When you return, we will see if the throne judges you worthy.”_ He says.

Seeing her confusion he adds, “ _The Sith Throne will only accept the most powerful and most deserving Sith alive to control its power._ ” 

Rey nods once more and leaves the throne room. She makes her way back to her ship and walks passed the Sith Troopers back to the bridge. She turns to the Navi-computer and selects Mustafar. She guides her ship past all of the ships in the air, and into open space. She puts in the course for Mustafar, and her ship leaps into hyperspace. Rey slowly pulls the hood covering her face off and leans back in her chair, hands behind her head. She closes her eyes, meditating. 

A few hours later she is awoken by her ship coming out of hyperspace. Rey looks out the front viewport and sees the famous planet of fire, Mustafar. She reaches down and presses the cloaking button, hiding the ship from any scanners that might be in the area. She guides her ship down through the planet’s atmosphere. Her eyes are instantly drawn to a large black command shuttle that she quickly recognizes. “Kylo Ren is here.” She thinks and lands her ship near the ruins of Darth Vader’s castle. 

She stands up from her chair and pulls her hood over her head, shrouding her face in shadow. She walks out of the bridge and orders the Sith Troopers to follow her out of the ship. They fall into formation behind her and she hears the sound of their blasters being primed.

They walk into the forest and Rey is drawn to the sound of blaster fire. She gestures for the Sith Troopers to follow behind her and begins to quietly make her way towards the sound of blaster fire. Before she reaches the fighting, she feels herself being drawn to a stone alter just outside of the woods. She smirks and walks to the alter. “I guess Kylo Ren is dealing with the Alazmec of Winsit for me.” Rey thinks with a smirk.

When she stands before it, she reaches down and pulls out a familiar triangular object. She smiles when she recognizes it from Pryde’s ship. She inspects it for a moment before tightening her grip around the Wayfinder. The Wayfinder makes cracking sounds and then shatters. “NO!” A voice yells.

Rey and her troopers spin around to see Kylo Ren walking towards her with six men dressed in black armor and wearing varying masks. Rey smirks. “Oh, I am sorry. Were you looking for that?” She asks, gesturing at the remaining shards.

Rey watches as the men dressed in black move to attack her. “Knights of Ren, capture her and kill her men.” Ren orders. 

The Knights of Ren rush towards her and Rey’s men aim their blasters at them. Before they can reach Rey, she raises her left hand, palm facing the Knights. The Knights freeze midstride and Rey orders, “Shoot to stun. I want them alive.” 

Her six troopers all fire on their targets and all six Knights fall to the ground, stunned. Kylo rushes towards her and Rey sighs. She encases him in Force energy, freezing him much like his men.

“Take them back to my ship.” She orders. Her men rush forward and each grab one of the Knights. They drag them back through the woods towards her ship. 

Rey turns back to face Kylo Ren. “So…You are the feared master of the Knights of Ren. The heir apparent to Lord Vader.” She looks at him inquisitively.

“Who are you?” Ren asks, avoiding her questions. “I recognize you from when I captured you, but who the hell are you?” 

Rey smirks. “Once you know that, your life will never be the same. And it is not yet time for me to reveal my identity. You will find out soon enough.” She says.

“Tell me! I am Kylo Ren. No one disobeys me!” He says angrily.

Rey looks at him coldly and points her hands at him. Lightning erupts from her fingertips and impacts Kylo Ren, causing him to gasp in pain. “I am impressed, Kylo Ren. You aren’t screaming in agony.” 

She stops her lightning and lets him fall to the ground. “Now, draw your lightsaber. I wish to test your famed skills.” She orders.

Kylo hesitates but seems to realize he doesn’t have much of a choice. He stands up and reaches for his saber. He ignites it and Rey can’t help but admire the design. His saber is a traditional lightsaber except for the fact that he has two glowing crossguard blades. 

Kylo Ren eyes the strange woman as she reaches to her belt. His eyes widen in confusion when he sees the design of Rey’s blade. She ignites it and Kylo’s confusion rises. Her lightsaber is shaped like a U. Shaking his head, he launches himself at her anticipating beating her easily. Instead, she gracefully dodges his first strike and blocks his second. Then she swings her lightsaber and Kylo falls to the ground, a glowing red blade impaled through his right leg. “Wow.” She says. “That was a disappointment.”

Rey turns and walks away, never looking back. She feels Kylo Ren watching her walk away and she can feel his awe, fear, and respect for her. When she reaches her ship, she walks up the ramp and sees her men have already restrained her new prisoners to the walls of the ship. She walks past them and back to the bridge. She sits in her chair and pulls off her hood. She guides the ship out of the atmosphere, past Ren’s Star Destroyer which now waits in orbit, and jumps into lightspeed.

When Rey’s ship comes out of lightspeed, she sees her armada waiting in the skies above Exegol. She directs her ship for hanger one on the _Ultimus_ and lands the Fury-class transport. She walks out of the ship, ordering her men to take her new prisoners to the cell block for interrogation. 

Rey walks past the Fury-class ship she just flew and back to her Sentinel-class shuttle. She walks in and guides it out of the hanger. She flies it towards the Sith Citadel. She lands her ship and walks into the now familiar ancient Sith base, past the lab and the statues until she reaches the throne room. 

Rey smiles when she sees her grandfather _standing_ before the throne. She walks to him and he smiles at her. “ _So I take it the mission was a success?_ ” He asks.

She grins coldly, “Was there ever any doubt, grandfather? I found the Sith Wayfinder and destroyed it. In the process, Kylo Ren showed up with his Knights of Ren. I defeated them and then defeated Kylo himself in three saber moves. The Knights of Ren are now my prisoners on board the _Ultimus._ ” She says.

The Emperor is no longer surprised by his granddaughter, but he still feels pride. “ _Well done, Rey._ _It is now time for the test.”_ He says.

Rey glances at the throne behind him and nods her head. “Okay, grandfather. What do I do and what should I expect?” She asks.

He looks at her, “ _This is a test that hasn’t been passed in over three millennia. If the throne deems you unworthy, you will die. On the other hand, If the throne excepts you, you will become the Empress of the Sith and all of the knowledge of every Sith to ever life will be yours.”_ He says.

Rey grimaces, “Well let us hope it accepts me then.” She says.

The Emperor nods. He stands aside and Rey walks up the steps to the throne. She turns around and faces her grandfather. She smiles at him and slowly lowers herself until she hovers over the Dark Throne. With one last movement, she sits on the cold stone of the throne. Her eyes go wide and she begins to scream in agony. Lightning arcs across her body and her eyes glow an ethereal red. 

As suddenly as the pain came, it is gone. Instead, her mind is overrun with thousands of years worth of memories and experience. As the memories begin to slow down, she feels the power within her begin to build up. As the last memory goes through her mind, she lets out a yell and a wave of power erupts around her. Throwing her grandfather back over thirty feet before he is able to stop himself. 

She looks down at him and his eyes widen. Her formerly brown eyes are now fully a glowing red color. Her body and the way she carries herself suggests power and knowledge well beyond her years. Instinct takes over and the former Emperor of the galaxy lowers himself onto one knee. He bows to the new Empress. He bows before his successor, and he bows before the Empress of the Sith. 

Rey gestures with her right hand and her grandfather stands up. He walks closer to her and points to a Holo-communicator in the center of the room. She nods and activates it using the Force. “Our time is now. We will reveal ourselves to the galaxy and take back my birthright. We will conquer the entire galaxy, destroying any world that would challenge our rule. The Final Order begins. Captains of all Star Destroyers, prepare to be assigned a mission. Do not do anything until you are assigned a mission.” She orders.

She turns off the Holo-communicator and slowly rises from where she sits on the Sith Throne. “Approach, grandfather.” She says, no hint of her former hesitation in her voice. 

He nods and moves to stand at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the throne. “ _I suggest you take your conquest slowly. We don’t want to alert the Resistance of our existence until we absolutely need to.”_ He advises. 

She nods, “I realize that grandfather, but there is something I need to make clear. I am the empress. I make the decisions. I will always listen to your advice, but you must understand that I now have the memories of every Sith to ever live, including you.” She says.

He looks at her in shock. “ _You have my memories?_ ” He asks.

She looks at him. “Yes. I have every single one. Even the one where you lied to me about loving my father. In reality, you thought him weak and a nuisance.” She says coldly.

The former Emperor looks at her in fear, “ _I am sorry, granddaughter. I never should have lied about that. I have finally gotten the chance to take care of a family member and I am trying my best. The feeling of caring for someone other than myself is something I haven’t felt since I was very young. I am trying Rey. I truly am._ ” He says quietly.

Rey continues to stare at him, “I am going to let you off this time grandfather, but only because you are my last surviving relative and because you saved me from my hell on Jakku. Do not ever keep anything from me again.” She says, a warning clear in her voice.

He nods. “ _I understand, Rey. I will never lie to you again._ ” He says.

She nods and stands from the throne. Walking past her former master without a word. “ _Granddaughter, wait._ ” He says.

She slowly turns to face him. “ _This is the only time I will ever ask this and I promise I have a reason. Kneel._ ” He is holding a lightsaber in his left hand.

She looks at the lightsaber and instantly realizes what he wants to do. She drops to one knee and watches as he walks to stand right in front of her. He ignites the blade and slowly hovers it over each of her shoulders before holding it above her head. “ _My young apprentice, you have earned your Sith name more than any Sith before you. You are the Empress of the Sith Emperor, but you still deserve the title of Darth. From this day forth you shall be known as Darth…Rhaelyx.”(Pronounced Rey-lix)_

Rey smiles when she hears the name, catching the similarities to her real name. She stands up and nods in thanks to Darth Sidious. She turns and returns to her ship outside of the citadel. She sits down in the pilot’s seat and guides the ship back to the _Ultimus._ Once her ship touches down, she walks down the exit ramp to see over a hundred Sith Troopers standing in formation on either side of the pathway out of the hanger. As she passes the troopers, they drop to a knee head bent in submission. 

Rey smiles. She continues walking out of the hanger and makes her way to a metal lift to take her to the command deck of the _Ultimus._ The doors to the lift open and she walks in. The lift begins to rise and finally stops after reaching the command deck. 

The metal doors slide open and Rey walks out. The instant she does, every officer on the bridge drops to a knee. Even General Pryde, although Rey could sense hatred and disgust coming from him. Rey walks through the bridge and takes the lift in the corner of the room. The lift rises up and when the doors open Rey can’t help but smile. Sitting in the far end of the room is a massive black throne. Standing at equal intervals around the room are who Rey recognizes as Sith Sentinel guards. They went through much more intense training than normal Sith Troopers and are basically Royal Guards. Their red armor is now streaked with black on the chest, highlighting the lines around the chest. On the right shoulder of each of the guards sits a rifle that can e doubled as a baton for hand to hand combat. Each soldier has a black cloak with the red Sith Eternal emblem embroidered in the center of it. The Sentinel standing behind the throne has entirely black armor with red highlights, indicating him being a higher rank than the rest.

Rey continues walking until she reaches the throne and like the Troopers in the hanger, the guards kneel as she passes them. Rey comes to a stop right in front of the black throne and turns to face the guards. She slowly sits down and gestures with her right hand for the Sith Sentinels to return to their posts. Her eyes glowing red with power, she gestures with her right hand and the Holo-communicator activates, open to all ships in the Final Order. 

“Final Order. I am your Empress Rey Palpatine, granddaughter of the former Emperor of the Galaxy. I am the Sith Lord Darth Rhaelyx, but most importantly, I am the death of rebellion. Any who stand against us will watch as we destroy their planets and kill their population. We are the Final Order! We will not be stopped! Nothing will stop the return of the Sith!” She says, voice echoing with power. 

Once she finishes talking, she deactivates the Holo-communicator and leans back in the throne. “How far I have risen.” Rey thinks to herself. She turns back to the Holo-display and says, “I am expecting a First Order ship to appear in orbit soon. Allow him to land and guide him to my throne room. I will meet him when I return.” She orders.

Suddenly, an idea comes to her that is too tempting for her to resist. Vengeance. Rey stands from her throne and walks towards the lift. “Come.” She orders the Sith Sentinels. They fall into line behind her and follow her through the ship to her hanger. She has them follow her onto her Fury-class ship and guides the ship out of the hanger, setting a course. 

Once the ship gets through the atmosphere, she jumps the ship into lightspeed. She stands from the captain’s chair and walks into the cargo hold where the Sith Sentinels stand. “I have set a course. We are making our first move. We will see how long it takes the First Order and the Resistance to notice our activity today. We are going to a backwater planet so it might take a few days. Follow my lead and do nothing unless I order it.” She orders the Sentinels.

The black-armored commander replies, “Yes, milady.” With the rest of the Sith Sentinels nodding in ascent. She makes her way back to the bridge of the ship and sits back in the captain’s chair, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

When she awakens a few hours later, she notices that the ship is about to come out of lightspeed. Reaching down, Rey exits the ship from hyperspace. The planet standing in front of her causes a well of bad memories to swell to the front of her mind. Her eyes glow their ethereal red and Rey begins to second guess her decision. Steeling her mind, she guides her ship towards the surface of the planet form of Rey’s hell. Jakku. “After I deal with the fucking Crolute Unkar Plutt, I will have a Star Destroyer come out here and blow this planet out of existence.” She thinks and the very thought of the destruction of the desert planet causes a satisfied grin to appear on her face. 

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

As Luke sits with his eyes closed, contemplating what to do about Ben and Rey, he sighs. He knows that if he had been more intelligent, none of what was currently happening would be an issue. 

He is drawn out of his thoughts by a Resistance fighter saying, “Pardon my interruption, General Skywalker. General Leia has requested your presence in the command center.” 

Luke slowly rises from his spot in the secluded room and walks out the door, following the Resistance soldier. When he arrives in the command center, he is surprised to see that his sister is the only one in the room. “Come here, brother.” She says quietly.

Luke walks over to her and sits in front of her. His eyes widen when they land on his sister’s face. For the first time ever, the Princess of Alderaan is displaying unadulterated fear. “What is wrong, sister? Why are you so scared?” He asks.

She looks at him for a minute before saying, “We received word from a spy in the First Order. Ben was on a mission for Snoke when he encountered a girl. Ben had his Knights of Ren with him. The girl incapacitated the Knights of Ren and captured them. She then dueled Ben and beat him in three strokes of her saber. We are in trouble Luke. The spy also reported that the girl had six troopers dressed in high-quality red armor. This suggests she has an army. She arrived in a ship that hasn’t been seen since the days of the ancient Sith Empire. A ship our archives indicate is called a Fury-class transport. Apparently they are incredibly advanced and even have a cloaking device. The fact she had such an advanced ship hints that she also has a large navy.” Leia says sadly.

Luke feels his worries grow. He thinks to himself, “How did the girl beat Ben so easily? How big are her army and navy? When is she going to make a move?” All of these questions rush through his mind, none with good answers. 

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

As Kylo is carried on a medical transport surrounded by medical droids working oh his injuries, his thoughts are drawn to the encounter with the mysterious girl. "How was she so powerful? How?” He asks himself.

The lightning the girl shot at him left him scarred. Her lightning was much more powerful than his master’s. It had taken all of his willpower to not scream in agony. The main source of pain is his leg where the girl stabbed him. Kylo Ren had never felt so humiliated. The girl had effortlessly beaten him in three strokes of her unique saber. 

One of the medical droids begins to speak, “It is recommended that you pour some Bacta on your wounds while redressing your bandage.” It says. 

Ren nods and slowly stands up, wincing in pain as he puts weight on his injured leg. His whole body aches from the Force Lightning he was hit with. Slowly, he makes his way off the transport and onto the _Supremacy_ , his master’s command ship. 

Kylo Ren uses the Force to slightly ease his pain, but the Dark Side is against anything to do with healing. The Dark Side is meant to destroy, not create. Because Kylo Ren knows he is still conflicted between Light and Dark, he can still use Force Healing to a slight degree. 

Making his way through the corridors of the _Supremacy_ , Kylo begins to wonder what to tell his master. “He will not be pleased.” Kylo thinks to himself.

Arriving at his master’s throne room, Kylo Ren takes a deep breath and walks in. His master still sits on the throne, dressed in his golden outfit. Kylo walks forward and kneels at the foot of the throne. “Master.” He intones.

“Kylo Ren,” Snoke says. “I see you have returned empty-handed. And where are your Knights?” He asks.

Kylo flinches. He responds with the full truth, knowing his master would know if he left anything out. “I am sorry, master. I encountered the girl from before and she destroyed the Sith Wayfinder before I could get to it. I had my Knights engage the soldiers she had with her but before they could reach their targets the girl froze them with the Force. She had her Troopers stun them and ordered them to be taken back to her ship. The soldiers were very well trained and followed orders perfectly. Then, I tried to ask her who she was and when she wouldn’t answer, I launched myself at her. She froze me using the Force as well and then used Force Lightning on me. Then she asked me to draw my saber and attack her.” Kylo hangs his head, having a hard time admitting the fact that the girl had thoroughly embarrassed him. “Then she activated a uniquely designed saber and engaged me. She beat me, master. She beat me in three strokes of her saber, stabbing me in the right leg. I have never seen anyone fight the way she did.” He finishes. 

Snoke leans back in his throne, disappointment written all across his face. “It appears this girl has harnessed her strong connection to the Dark Side. I fear we may have a greater threat than the Resistance. She will try to usurp us from our position of power. When she does, we will destroy her.” The Supreme Leader of the First Order says. 

Kylo tentatively asks, “Master, wouldn’t it be better to try and reach on agreement with her? If the soldiers she had with her were any indication, she may have an army with her, along with a navy. The ship she flew off in was like nothing I have ever seen and it reminded me of the Fury-class ship from the archives of the Old Sith Empire.” 

Snoke instantly looks at him in anger and shoots lightning at him. Kylo grits his teeth but doesn’t fight back. After the girl’s lightning, his master’s doesn’t hurt nearly as much. “No, my young apprentice.” Snoke snarls out. “I am the only one allowed to rule this galaxy. No one else is allowed to share in this power.” He says.

Kylo Ren feels his anger rise but knows there is nothing he can do against the superior power his master possesses. Instead, Kylo stands and abruptly walks towards the exit of the throne room. Before he reaches the door, he feels his master’s Force grip wrap around his waist, pulling him back towards the throne. Kylo debates trying to break the hold his master has on him but decides better of that idea. He allows himself to be dragged back until he faces his master. “I do not recall dismissing you yet, apprentice,” Snoke says coldly.

Ren can’t help the anger that bursts out through his carefully constructed mental barriers. “I am sorry, master. I let my anger control my actions.” He says.

Snoke sneers at him. “Yes, I noticed. What you are forgetting is that I cannot be beaten. I cannot be betrayed. I can see your intentions in your mind before you have even decided whether or not to follow through with your intentions. I know your mind better than you do. You will never beat me, Kylo Ren. I will always be your master.” 

With each word his master says, Kylo Ren’s hatred continues to grow. His hatred begins to roll off him in waves and Snoke smirks cruelly. “Good, apprentice. Use that anger. Strike me down and your journey to the Dark Side shall be complete.” Snoke says. 

As much as Kylo Ren wants to, he knows that his master would kill him if he even thought about drawing his saber so instead, he just bows his head. After another minute, Snoke says, “Dismissed. Return to this throne room tomorrow at zero-six-hundred. It is time to shore up your training. If you were beaten that easily than we need to make sure that next time you encounter the Sith imposter bitch, you will be able to kill her.”

Kylo Ren nods and walks out of the throne room. As he hears his master call the girl a bitch, he feels a weird sense of protectiveness. “What the fuck? Why do I care what Snoke calls her?” He asks himself. 

He makes his way back to his quarters and walks in, locking the door behind him. He makes his way to the bathroom and peels off his mask. He stares into the mirror, his black hair hanging on the side of his face. His skin glistening in sweat from the double exposure to Force Lightning and the heat inside his suit. He carefully begins to remove the uniform covering his upper body until his bare chest is visible. He sighs. 

“I really need to make a mental shield my master can’t penetrate if I ever want to take his place.” He thinks to himself. “Also, why the hell am I feeling protective of the Sith girl? I don’t even know who she is.” 

Kylo slams his fist on the sink, ignoring the pain that shoots through his wrist. He heads back into his bedroom and changes into his nightclothes. He slowly climbs into bed, wincing at both his right leg and the burns across his body from the Force Lightning. “Snoke is going to die at my hand and when he does, I will finally be free to do what I wish with my power. First, my mother, father, and uncle wanted to control it and now Snoke does. What they don’t realize is that I cannot be controlled. I am the grandson of Darth Vader and am the Master of the Knights of Ren.” He thinks to himself. Then he snarls, realizing his Knights are now captured by the girl. Then it occurs to him. Each Knight has a tracker implanted in their spines so that if they ever tried to desert they wouldn’t be out of the First Order’s sights. 

Kylo stands and makes his way to his Holo-table in the middle of the room. He activates it and enters his password. He swipes through his Holo-net and makes his way to the Knights of Ren folder he has. He opens it and scrolls down to a folder reading ‘tracker.’

He opens the folder and clicks the button labeled ‘track.’ After a few minutes, the screen flashes red and a map of the Outer Rim appears. It zooms in on a system in the Outer Rim that is surrounded by all sorts of hazards. What surprises him the most is that the system doesn’t have a known name. He quickly sends the tracker’s location to his datapad and stands up. “Exegol…” He thinks to himself. “I believe it is time I see for myself what that girl has to offer. She might be a better option than Snoke. She is definitely more powerful than Snoke. Maybe I can negotiate for my Knights’ freedom.” All these thoughts run through Kylo’s head as he walks to his closet and puts on a new uniform. 

After putting on the new uniform and placing his mask back on his head, he walks out of his quarters, heading for his private hanger. When he reaches it, he walks over to his TIE-Silencer and climbs in the front. He takes a deep breath and reaches down to deactivate the tracker on his ship. He guides his ship out of the hanger of the _Supremacy_ and inputs the trackers’ coordinates. He jumps into lightspeed and waits for his ship to arrive at Exegol. 

Instead of arriving in front of a planet, his ship’s alarm system sounds and it comes out of lightspeed in front of a large gravity well. Kylo turns off the Nava-computer and guides the ship in himself, relying on his connection with the Force to guide him through. When he reaches the other side of the red gravity well, he jumps into lightspeed once more, coordinates locked on the tracker. 

When his ship comes out of lightspeed, his eyes widen. The planet before him is a blue color and lightning flickers all across the surface. That isn’t what catches his eye though. Hovering in orbit around the planet is the largest fleet Kylo Ren has ever seen. Made up of thousands upon thousands of Star Destroyers. Kylo instantly notices that none of the ships are shooting him and realizes with a start that he is expected. He checks the trackers’ location and looks where the tracker guides him. This time he lets out an audible gasp. The tracker is leading him to the largest ship he has ever seen. He recognizes it to be of similar design to the Super Star Destroyers of the Empire, only this ship is bigger. Suddenly, a voice comes through his comm. “Welcome to Exegol, Kylo Ren. Our Empress told us to expect you. She has ordered that you land in hanger forty-two. From there, you will be escorted to her.” 

Kylo does as he is told, still in awe at the size of the fleet, although he feels confused. “The girl is too young to have ordered the creation of this fleet. It would take decades to build a fleet of this size.” He thinks to himself. He lands his ship in hanger forty-two and climbs out of his TIE. In front of him are over a hundred of the red-dressed troopers from Mustafar. One walks forward and says, “Hand over your blade. Our Empress may return it to you once you discuss things with her.”

Kylo reluctantly hands over his saber. He allows the troopers to guide him out of the hanger and through the ship. They reach the throne room and his escorts guide him into the room. At the end of the room sits a massive black throne. “Wait here. Our Empress is on a mission and will meet with you when she returns.” 

Kylo walks towards the throne and stands before it. “I wonder who the Empress is. Who is she related to, to have as much power as she does?” He thinks to himself. 

Suddenly, a new voice speaks up from the entry door to the throne room. “Well, you don’t need to wonder anymore. I am her grandfather.” 

Kylo Ren turns around and feels his eyes widen. A man dressed in a black cloak with super wrinkled skin walks toward him. Kylo recognizes him and drops to a knee. “Darth Sidious.” He says.

“Indeed.” The man says. “I see you are here to talk to my granddaughter. She will be back soon. She had to go take care of a childhood nemesis.”

Kylo still feels himself doubting what is right in front of him. “May I ask how you still live, milord?” Kylo asks. 

The former Emperor of the Galaxy just smirks, “The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be…unnatural.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Previous chapter:**

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

Suddenly, a new voice speaks up from the entry door to the throne room. “Well, you don’t need to wonder anymore. I am her grandfather.” 

Kylo Ren turns around and feels his eyes widen. A man dressed in a black cloak with super wrinkled skin walks toward him. Kylo recognizes him and drops to a knee. “Darth Sidious.” He says.

“Indeed.” The man says. “I see you are here to talk to my granddaughter. She will be back soon. She had to go take care of a childhood nemesis.”

Kylo still feels himself doubting what is right in front of him. “May I ask how you still live, milord?” Kylo asks. 

The former Emperor of the Galaxy just smirks, “The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be…unnatural.”

**Chapter 6(Meeting the Sith Empress)**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

Rey lands her ship near Niima Outpost, but not close enough that anyone would see her land. Rey can feel her anticipation rising. She walks out of the bridge, pulling her hood over her head. She walks into the cargo hold where the Sith Sentinels stand waiting. She presses a button to lower the ramp and the wind blows sand towards her. “Follow me.” She orders. 

They fall in line behind her with the black-armored commander standing just behind her. The other eight Sentinels stand on formation behind the commander, blasters resting on their shoulders. They walk across the sand-covered desert until they reach Niima Outpost. Many different species stop to look at her and the troopers she has behind her before one takes action. A Twi’Lek draws a pistol and shoots it at her. Rey’s men aim their blasters but before they can fire, Rey uses the Force to slam the laser bolt back at the Twi’Lek, puncturing a hole in the head of the would-be assassin. “Anyone else?” She asks coldly. 

She turns to her men. “I am going to scare this trader out the back of his stall. Seize him and take him back to the ship. I will meet you there.” She orders. The commander nods and the Sentinels walk around to the back of the stall.

Once she reaches the stall from which Unkar Plutt works, she walks forward, cutting to the front of the line of scavengers looking to sell their day’s effort of parts. “What do you want, girl? Get out of the way!” The Crolute yells at her. 

Rey just smiles cruelly. She begins to squeeze her fist closed behind her back and Unkar Plutt begins to chock. “If you want to live through the next minute, I suggest you close your stall and follow me.” She says coldly.

The Crolute nods quickly and closes the metal grate, blocking off his stall. He slowly exits the back of the stall and is grabbed by men dressed in red armor. He looks up in time to see a soldier dressed in black armor reach down with an electro-pack to stun him. Unkar Plutt falls to the ground unconscious.

When his eyes begin to open, he sees the girl from before kneeling before him, flanked by the soldiers from before. “What do you want! I’ll give you anything!” Unkar Plutt cries out.

The girl smiles coldly at him, “Anything?” She asks.

The Crolute nods, “Yes! Anything!” He cries out. 

The girl just smiles and Unkar Plutt notices for the first time that the girl’s eyes are glowing red. “Well, then I am going to tell you what I want.” She says. She leans down and whispers in his ear, “I am going to make you scream in agony and when you finally are nearing death, I will cut every limb from your body before finally cutting off your head.” She says.

The Crolute’s eyes widen in horror, “Who are you? Why do you want to kill me so bad? Why? What did I do to you?” He asks in terror. 

She rises to her feet and waves her hand. The soldiers walk away, leaving the Crolute alone with the girl. She reaches up with her left hand and slowly removes her hood. Her face is beautiful and her pale skin looks soft. Unkar Plutt continues to stare at her until he gasps. “Girl? I thought you were dead!” He exclaims.

Rey sneers, “Oh, if only I was dead. Then you wouldn’t have to get tortured and then executed by me.” She says coldly. 

The trader feels tears begin to well in the corner of his eyes. “Please, girl. Don’t kill me! I can help you!” He cries out.

Rey just looks at him in amusement for a second. Then her amusement is replaced by hatred. “You are going to suffer as I did for my entire life here on Jakku. You tried to sell me to a pedophile when I was thirteen. You did nothing when I was kidnapped and nearly raped three times. So I am going to make you feel agony like no one ever has before.” She snarls.

The Crolute looks at her in terror, realizing that there is nothing he can do to save himself. “Who are you, girl? How do you control the Jedi mumbo-jumbo?” He asks quietly.

Rey contemplates not answering him but decides because she is about to kill him it doesn’t really matter if he knows. “My grandfather’s name is Sheev.” She says, only adding to the Crolute’s confusion, before adding, “But his last name is Palpatine.” She says.

The Crolute’s eyes widen in terror. “And for your information, I am not a Jedi. I am the Empress of the Final Order and in a matter of years, I will rule the entire galaxy with an iron fist. I am Rey Palpatine. I am Darth Rhaelyx. And I am your doom.” She says, pointing her right hand at him. Red lightning erupts from her fingertips and impacts the Crolute’s skin. 

Rey continues to shoot lightning at Unkar Plutt, laughing at his screams of agony. All of the fat on the Crolute’s body begins to boil and drip down his skin. When he finally falls unconscious, Rey stops shooting lightning. She goes into his mind and wakes him up. “Oh, no, no. You are going to be awake for every second of this until I kill you.” She snarls. 

Her right hand reaches down to her waist and draws her lightsaber. She ignites one end of it and slowly reaches down and presses it into the metal armor covering the chest of Unkar Plutt. The melted skin that was still dripping down his chest was burned away as the heat of the lightsaber burnt a gash diagonally across the Crolute’s chest. The molten metal joined with the flow of melted skin as it dripped down his body.

Unkar Plutt screams in agony as Rey slowly begins to drag the lightsaber down his chest. Digging up over an inch of skin and fat from the chest of the Crolute. Rey just laughs, her red eyes glowing as she watches her childhood’s nightmare whimper in pain. 

She deactivates the blade and takes a step back to admire her work. Unkar Plutt’s previously fat covered chest has been trimmed down over an inch and is no longer overly round in shape. The fat dripping down his skin from the Force Lightning has begun to solidify once more and Rey frowns. She points her right hand at the Crolute and shoots more Force Lightning at the whimpering, cowering form of Unkar Plutt. She keeps shooting the lightning until his fat begins to once more drip down his body. She stops the lightning and sighs in disappointment. She knows that the body of Unkar Plutt can’t take much more before he dies so she draws her lightsaber.

She leans down and whispers in the ear of the now sobbing Crolute, “I am going to make good on my promise, Plutt. I am going to cut every limb from your body before finally freeing you from this life.”

Rey activates one side of her lightsaber and slowly allows it to sink into the left leg of Unkar Plutt. She slowly forces it through the skin and bone before with a final push, the entire left leg of Unkar Plutt falls to the ground. She repeats this process with his right leg before moving up to his arms. She decides to speed things up, knowing the Crolute’s nerve receptor has been damaged so badly that he no longer feels pain. She cuts off his right and left arm in turn before slowly kneeling before the still form of the bane of her existence while she was on Jakku. She looks into his eyes and notices that there is no longer any sign of life in Unkar Plutt. Rey quickly ignites her blade and with a quick stroke removes the head from the body of Unkar Plutt, putting him out of his misery. 

Rey stares at the body for a moment before standing up and reattaching her lightsaber to her belt. She turns and briskly walks away from her work, ignoring the looks of terror she receives from the residents of Niima Outpost. She walks towards her ship and notices the Sith Sentinels fall into line behind her. 

They arrive at her ship and board it. Rey walks to the bridge and guides the ship out of the atmosphere of Jakku. She looks into her memories and inputs the coordinates of Exegol. She reaches down and pulls a lever, causing the stars in front of her to blur together as her ship enters hyperspace. 

When she arrives back in the sky above her fleet, she remembers that Kylo Ren is most likely waiting for her. She lands her ship in hanger one of the _Ultimus_ and orders the Sentinels to follow her. She exits the ship and makes her way through the corridors of her Super Star Destroyer until she arrives at the door to her throne room. She turns to the Sith Sentinels and orders, “I wish to be alone with my guest. Once we leave, return to your positions in the throne room until you are ordered otherwise. You are dismissed for now.”

She gestures with her right hand and the doors to the throne room swing open. She walks briskly into the room, cloak billowing out behind her. Kylo Ren turns to face her as she enters. “Hello, Empress Palpatine.” He greets her.

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

Luke sighs as he closes his eyes in meditation, his thoughts plagued by the threat to the galaxy. His meditation is interrupted by a voice saying, “Hey farm boy.” 

Luke’s eyes shoot open and he looks towards the door of his room. Standing there, red hair looking like flames in the light, is Mara Jade. 

Luke stands up and looks at her in shock. “Mara…” He whispers. 

She smiles at him sadly, “It's me, farmboy. I have finally worked up the courage to tell you why I left for over twenty years.” She says.

Luke walks towards her and before she can protest, pulls her into his arms. He buries his face in her red hair. “I missed you so much, Mara. Where have you been?” He asks.

She smiles sadly at him. “You may want to sit down for this.” She says, pulling herself out of Luke’s embrace. 

Luke looks at her questioningly but does as she asks. He leads her over to some metal crates in the corner of his room and the two sit down. “I am so sorry, Luke. I never should have kept it from you and now it is too late.” She says and tears begin to roll down her face.

“What, Mara? What should you have told me?” He asks.

She looks at him and whispers, “When I left twenty years ago, I was pregnant. I was carrying our child.” 

Luke looks at her in shock, but he feels a level of joy build in his chest. “Then that is a good thing, right? We are parents.” He states.

Mara looks down and says quietly, “You knew our daughter. You trained her.”

Luke looks shocked before realization hits him, “She was one of the students I was training? Oh, no, no, no, no!” Luke cries out. “That means Ben killed her.” He says in horror.

Mara shakes her head. “It is much worse than that, Luke.” Luke is surprised by her use of his name. “When Kylo Ren left the island with a select few of your students, our daughter went with him.” She says sadly.

Luke looks at her, dread building in her chest. “Ben kidnapped her?” He asks.

Mara gulps but shakes her head no. “No, Luke. She went with him willingly. From the moment she was born she had a level of darkness present in her. Kylo Ren used that darkness to convince her to go with him.” 

Luke looks at her on horror. “Who was she, Mara? Which student was my daughter?” He asks.

Mara sighs, “Her name was Kira. She called herself Kira Jade in private. She never knew you were her father. But now she is one of the Knights of Ren. She calls herself Kayla Ren…”

Luke looks at Mara in horror, face displaying his shock. “Why Mara? Why did you never tell me? I could have saved her from the darkness.” He says.

Mara’s eyes flash. “Oh, you mean save her from the darkness like you did with the Emperor’s granddaughter? Like your nephew, Ben Solo? No, Luke. You have failed. I love you but I knew you would drive our daughter even further into the darkness if you tried to save her.” She says.

Luke feels tears roll down his face and he reaches his right arm around Mara’s waist to pull her close to him. “You are right, Mara. I see why you didn’t tell me when I was training her, but why didn’t you tell me all those years ago when she left with Ben? Why wait till now to tell me?” Luke asks.

Mara takes a deep breath. “Because, Luke. Our daughter has been captured.”

Luke looks at her curiously, but his eyes widen. His mind goes back to what Leia told him. The Knights of Ren were captured by the Emperor’s granddaughter.

Mara sighs. “I used some of my old Empire contacts to find out who has her. She is being held on the ancient homeworld of the Sith. It is called Exegol. She is being held by a women who goes by the Sith name of Darth Rhaelyx. But that isn’t the worst news.” She says and Luke senses a level of fear radiating off of her. 

“What is the worst new?” Luke asks, possibilities racing through his mind.

Mara Jade’s body begins to shake as she says, “My master still lives, Luke. The Emperor survived his demise…”

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

As Kylo Ren stands in the throne room awaiting the return of the Sith Empress, he cannot help but admire the throne sitting in the middle of the room. The room itself is plain black in color but has red lines crisscrossing it at random intervals. “It looks much better than the throne room on the _Supremacy_.” Kylo thinks to himself. 

Kylo tenses up as he senses a powerful dark presence approaching the throne room. A minute later, the doors to the throne room are thrown open and in walks the Emperor’s granddaughter.

“Hello, Empress Palpatine.” Kylo Ren says to the women. 

She looks at him, eyes flashing red. “How do you know who I am?” She asks.

But then understanding dawns on her face. “Ah. So my grandfather introduced himself to you.” She says.

“How does she know that?” Kylo asks himself. 

As if sensing his question she says, “I have the memories of every Sith to ever live, including those of my grandfather.” 

Kylo looks at her in horror. “So you have my memories and those of my master?” He asks.

She looks at him in confusion before responding, “No. Neither of you are true Sith. You are too conflicted to fully accept the darkness and your master is nothing but a puppet. A clone genetically engineered in a lab on the surface of this planet.” 

Kylo feels his vision blur when he learns the truth of Snoke’s origins before he asks, “If he is a clone, why is he standing against you? Shouldn’t he aid your rise to power?”

The Empress shakes her head. “No. The ironic part of all of this is that Snoke doesn’t know he is a clone. He believes he is a true Sith. Before my grandfather sent him on his mission, he altered Snoke’s memories. You now have knowledge about Snoke that he doesn’t have about himself.” She says, walking towards the throne and sitting down.

“I assume you know that I only took your Knights to draw you here? After we finish discussing what is to happen next, I will return them to you.” She says. A moment of silence falls before the Empress adds, “Although I sense that you don’t know the true origin of one of your Knights.” 

Kylo looks at her, “Who is it?” He asks.

She just grins and lowers her glowing red eyes to look at him. “She is your uncle’s daughter.” She says.

Kylo Ren stumbles backward. “How is that possible? Luke always followed the Jedi Code to the letter. He would never have taken a lover.” 

The Sith Empress smirks. “Now that is where you are wrong. He did take a lover. And he married her.” She says.

Kylo Ren’s mind races as he tries to come up with who is uncle would have taken as a lover. The Empress watches his mind work before saying, “I will give you a hint. She was the Hand of the Emperor to my grandfather.” 

Kylo Ren’s eyes shoot open. “Mara Jade…” He whispers.

The Empress smiles, “Yes. The great Jedi Luke Skywalker married and had a child with Mara. That child is your Knight known as Kayla Ren.” She says, leaning forward on her throne to see his reaction. 

He looks at her, “Please don’t kill her. I will beg if that is what you wish. She is a very good Knight, my best one in fact. Her powers with the Dark Side are stronger than my own because unlike me, she is not conflicted. She has fully embraced the darkness.” Kylo Ren says.

The Empress smirks. “Now that is something I never thought I would see. The Heir Apparent to Darth Vader begging before me. But alas, that is unnecessary. I have no desire to hurt her. No, the opposite is true. I wish to meet her.” She says.

She turns on her comm. “Bring the Knights of Ren here. Tell them that their master is awaiting them.” She orders.

A few minutes later, the Knights are lead in by Sith Troopers and are guided to stand before the throne at their master’s side. “Remove your helmets.” Rey orders. 

They all hesitate but they sense that they don’t really have a choice. One after the other, they all remove their helmets. The Empress’ eyes are instantly drawn to a beautiful woman with black hair and striking blue eyes. The only indication of her parentage is the red sheen her hair has. She bares next to no resemblance to her blood father. “Step forward, Kira Jade.” The Empress says, causing said Knight to gasp.

Kira Jade steps forward hesitantly and looks at her. “All Knights except for Kayla and Kylo are dismissed. Escort them back to their cells for now.” The Empress orders. 

The Sith Troopers step forward and lead the Knights out of the throne room. Kayla Ren looks at the women sitting on the throne for a moment before hesitantly asking, “How do you know my name?” 

The Empress smiles. “Ask what you will, girl. You are free to speak while in my presence. And as for how I know your name, I know much more than that. I know the name of your mother.” She says. Kira Jade looks at her in shock before the Empress adds, “And I know the name of your father.” She says.

Kira Jade gasps. “Who is it? What man abandoned my mother to raise me alone?” She asks.

The Sith Empress just looks at her, “Both I and your master have serious reasons to dislike your father. Your father is Luke Skywalker.” She says. 

Kayla Ren gasps. “No. No, that isn’t possible.” She whispers. 

The Empress stands from the throne and walks towards the now shaking girl. “I am sorry, Kayla. I don’t understand why your mother didn’t tell you. A child should know their parents.” She says and Kylo Ren hears a level of pain in the Empress’ voice as she says that.

Kayla Ren looks shocked, hurt, angry, and confused all at once. Then the Empress smiles as a look of determination passes over her face. “My father didn’t want me in his life, so I will end his.” She says coldly, no hint of hesitation, nor any falter in her voice.

The Empress smiles at her before turning back to face Kylo Ren. “Now that you both know the truth, I have a proposal for you.” She says.

Kylo nods his head. “I am more than willing to listen. It is abundantly clear that you are way out of both mine and my master’s league.” He says.

The Empress smirks. “You are very much correct. If I wanted to, I could kill your master from here.” She says, causing both Kylo and Kayla to look at her in fear. “I could kill anyone, anywhere in the galaxy, at any time.” She adds.

Kylo and Kayla both look at her in fear and disbelief. “Just how powerful are you?” Kylo asks.

The Empress just smirks. “Well, back to my offer. I wish for you and your Knights to join me. We will use my fleet to conquer the entire galaxy. I am sure that you saw on your arrival, Kylo, that my fleet is bigger than any fleet ever before seen in the galaxy.”

Kylo thinks for a second before saying, “Before we make any major deals, I would like to know what you plan to do with the galaxy. And how you plan on dealing with those who would oppose you.” 

The Sith Empress smirks, “I will follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. I am going to control every planet and star system in this entire galaxy. Any who oppose me will die.” She says. 

Kylo nods and goes to respond but before he can the Empress cuts him off. “Before we continue discussing my offer, I will give you a demonstration of the power I control. Follow me.” She orders Kylo and Kayla. 

They both do and follow her out of the throne room. She leads them to a hanger in the Super Star Destroyer and guides them onto the same ship the Knights of Ren were held captive on. She walks to the bridge and guides the ship out of the hanger and into the nearest Star Destroyer’s hangar.

She lands her ship and walks briskly out of the transport. She walks through the ship, passing many different Final Order troopers and officers. When she reaches the bridge of the ship, she orders the captain of the ship to set a course for Jakku. 

The captain does and a few minutes later the Star Destroyer is speeding through lightspeed. Kylo begins to wonder what they could possibly be doing on Jakku and he can sense that Kayla is wondering the same thing.

When the ship exits hyperspace, Kylo turns to look at the Empress and sees her grinning ear to ear. She walks to the front viewport, gesturing for Kylo and Kayla to follow. They do and she turns and orders the gunners of the ship to charge the super laser. “The weapon is charged, milady and Jakku has been targeted.” One of the officers says.

The Empress takes a deep breath and then orders, “Fire.”

The ship begins to shake and Kylo and Kayla watch in fascination as the Star Destroyer fires a red beam of energy into the planet’s surface. After the beam remains in contact with the planet for around five seconds, the planet of Jakku erupts outwards. What was once a planet is now nothing more than a large amount of debris. 

Kylo and Kayla are in awe of the power possessed by the women standing next to them. Kylo can’t help but ask, “And every one of your Destroyers can do that?” 

The Empress nods. Then the voice of Kayla Ren asks, “If that is what your Star Destroyers can do, then what can the Super Star Destroyer do? It is at least ten times the size of the normal Destroyers.” 

The Empress face turns into a cold smirk. “That is something that I will keep to myself for the time being.” She says. “Now. Are you prepared to join me? Or will you make me kill you like I will do to Snoke?” She asks.

Kylo and Kayla look at each other for a second before both nodding their heads in assent. “We will join you. You are obviously the best option this galaxy has.” Kylo says. 

The Empress smiles victoriously. “Good.” She says, once again pronouncing the ‘good’ in a way that seems unnaturally long.

She turns back to the captain of the Star Destroyer. “Well done, captain. Now return us to Exegol.” She orders.

As the stars before the ship turn into lines, Kylo begins to wonder where the Empress was raised. “It couldn’t have been Jakku, could it?” He asks himself. “Although that would explain her apparent joy at blowing that planet out of existence.” 

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

“I am sorry to have to tell you more bad news, sister, but I must,” Luke says. 

Leia looks at him curiously. “Well, our problems can’t get much worse so let us hear it.” She says.

Luke takes a deep breath worried about how to tell his sister. From his side, Mara squeezes his hand in a comforting manner. “Mara and I apparently have a daughter.” He says.

Leia’s eyes widen before she smiles. “Well, that is good news then.” She states before seeing that Luke and Mara aren’t smiling. 

“That isn’t the bad news, Leia,” Luke says with a sigh. “When Ben left my training facility and slaughtered the majority of my students, he took with him a few of the students. They became the Knights of Ren.” 

Leia looks at him, trying to determine what happened to their daughter. Before she can say anything, the voice of Han Solo interrupts as he walks to Leia’s side. “Hey, kid. Are you saying Ben killed your daughter?” He asks. 

Luke shakes his head. “No.” He states quietly. 

Leia’s eyes widen as she realizes the truth. “She joined him. She became a Knight of Ren.” She says. 

Luke nods. “Yes. She now calls herself Kayla Ren. She is the second in command to Ben.” He says, voice laced with pain. 

Leia walks towards Mara and Luke and pulls them both into a hug. Mara is hesitant to hug her back, but does, sensing the positive message Leia is giving. Once Leia breaks the hug, Luke sighs. “That still wasn’t the worst news, Leia.” 

Leia looks at him as if begging him to say that he is kidding. Begging him to give her positive news instead. Luke once again tries to decide the best way to tell his sister and decides to just be as obvious as he can. “The Emperor lives, Leia. He is most likely the one training his granddaughter.” 

Leia holds a hand to her heart in shock. “How is that possible? You told me father through him down a reactor shaft.” She says. 

Luke sighs, “I have no idea how he did it, I only know that he did.” 

Leia goes to ask another question, but before she can an alarm sounds. Luke and Leia watch as the Holo-display in the center of the room displays an image of a planet. As they intently watch it, a Star Destroyer comes out of hyperspace. A few seconds later, a beam of energy is fired from some sort of underbelly super laser the Destroyer has. They watch in stunned horror and disbelief as the planet is blown up. 

Luke finally breaks the silence, “It appears that the Emperor’s granddaughter has made her first move.” 

Leia slowly lowers herself onto a metal crate as she is hit with a realization. “That means-“

She is cut off by Mara, “That every Destroyer in her fleet has planet-killing weapons. Of course, they do. This is how she plans to finish it. I guarantee you that it was the Emperor who had this fleet built.” She says.

Han interrupts, saying the one thing they were all thinking but didn’t want to say, “We’re fucked.”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Previous chapter:**

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

Luke finally breaks the silence, “It appears that the Emperor’s granddaughter has made her first move.” 

Leia slowly lowers herself onto a metal crate as she is hit with a realization. “That means-“

She is cut off by Mara, “That every Destroyer in her fleet has planet-killing weapons. Of course, they do. This is how she plans to finish it. I guarantee you that it was the Emperor who had this fleet built.” She says.

Han interrupts, saying the one thing they were all thinking but didn’t want to say, “We’re fucked.”

**Chapter 7(A New Plan is Hatched)**

**A quick warning, some people have been reviewing wanting Kylo and Rey’s relationship to progress more quickly. I apologize but I need to make something clear, this IS Reylo, but it is a slow burn Reylo story. The pairing will happen eventually but not for a little while yet.**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

As Rey watches, Kylo and Kayla are escorted off the Star Destroyer by Sith Troopers. “Escort them to quarters near mine. Give the other five Knights quarters closer to the barracks until I can speak with them.” She orders. The Sith Trooper in the lead nods and tells Kylo and Kayla to follow him. 

Rey watches until they are out of sight before turning and making her way towards her quarters. She walks through the hallway, officers and troopers stopping to lower themselves to a knee in respect. Rey could sense the fear that commonly accompanied the gesture of respect and it made her smile under her hood.

When she reaches the door to her room she doesn’t bother using the biometric scanner. Instead, she gestures with her right hand and uses the Force to open the door. She walks through the door and into her bedroom. She carefully pulls off her cloak and places it on a hanger near the door. Then she strips off her remaining clothes and grabs clothes to change into to put on after her shower. She makes her way into the bathroom and turns on the refresher. Instantly, steam rises from the water.

Rey carefully walks under the steaming water, gritting her teeth to stop from screaming at the temperature of the water. She allows the water to wash off her dusty and dirty skin, sand covering parts of her body. “I am so glad Jakku is gone.” She thinks to herself. 

The water continues to run down her body as more thoughts pass through her head. When her body is finally clean, Rey walks out of the refresher and grabs a towel to dry her body. She carefully dries her body, being sure to not leave any part of her wet. She hangs up the towel and grabs the black silk outfit she had chosen to put on for bed. She slips into it and makes her way to her bed. She climbs in and pulls the thin black sheets over her body. 

She sighs as she lowers her head onto the pillow and closes her eyes. The second her eyes close, she is hit with a vision. 

**Rey walks over the sandy dunes of Jakku, mouth parched from her limited water supply. She arrives at Niima Outpost and makes her way to Unkar Plutt’s stand. She sells her days work and walks back to her walker. When she arrives, she sees Kayla Ren’s father standing in front of her AT-AT home. Before Rey can see what happens, her vision changes and she is standing on a planet that has more green than Rey has seen on her entire life. Around her, small, furry creatures meander about, but what draws Rey’s attention is the metal base sitting near a massive tree. Her vision self walks towards the base and into the metal corridors. Rey’s eyes widen as she notices Resistance fighters walking through the corridors. She continues walking until she arrives at what appears to be the command center. Sitting around a Holo-display are Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa-Solo, and Mara Jade. And on the Holo-display is an image of Exegol and the surrounding system.**

Rey wakes from her vision gasping for air. She jumps out of bed and walks to the Holo-display in her room. She pushes a few buttons and the image of a green planet pops up. She swipes her hand over the image and a new planet appears. She does this until she comes to a planet called Endor. It is very green but the natural image of the planet is disrupted by the massive metal pieces of the Death Star littering the Northern part of Endor. What draws her attention is that the metal wreckage from the Death Star matches that of the Resistance base she saw in her vision.

Rey presses a button to turn off the Holo-display and walks over to her wardrobe. She grabs a new Sith robe and pulls it on. After making sure her entire outfit is ready, she walks out the door of her quarters, summoning her lightsaber to her hand as she exits. 

Rey clips the blade to her belt and continues on her way through the ship. She made her way through her command ship and towards the command deck. On the way she passes by hundreds of Sith Troopers and Officers and when she reaches the bridge, the people present on the ship all stand at attention. “What can we help you with, milady?” General Pryde asks, disdain still clear in his voice. 

Rey walks to the Holo-display in the center of the room before turning to look at him. “I know where the Resistance is.” She says.

Pryde’s eyes widen before an impressed smirk adorns his face, “Okay, milady. Where should we set a course for?” 

Rey shakes her head. “I have a different plan in mind, General. I am going to try and take out the Resistance and the Republic from the inside. We have enough power to conquer the galaxy in a matter of days. If we rely entirely on our strength to keep our subjects in line, there will always be those who would rise against us. I am going to destroy all symbolism of hope for the Resistance, but before that, I am going to pretend to be their spark of hope.” 

She turns to make her way out of the bridge before turning back, “General Pryde, I know you dislike me, but if you continue to perceive yourself as better than me, I will be forced to execute you. You are a good general and I do not wish for that to be necessary. Control your dislike for me or I will control it for you.” She says coldly. “I am going to talk to Kylo and Kayla Ren before I leave. I plan on bringing Kayla Ren with me. Make sure Kylo has everything he could need but do not allow him to leave this ship unless my grandfather or I say otherwise.” 

Pryde nods his head in acknowledgment, but Rey can sense that he still doesn’t have any desire to follow her. Rey turns and walks back out of the bridge and makes her way to the quarters of Kylo and Kayla Ren. 

When she arrives, she decides to not just barge into Kayla’s room and instead knocks on the metal door. A few moments later, the door is opened by Kayla who looks at Rey questioningly. “Milady.” She says, “Why are you here?” 

Rey smiles, “May I come in?” She asks.

Kayla nods and gestures for Rey to follow her into the room. She leads Rey to a table in the corner of the lounge portion of her quarters and the two women sit, Rey pulling off her hood. “I am here because I am going on a mission and I would like for you to accompany me,” Rey informs Kayla. 

Kayla instantly nods. “Of course, milady. I live to do your bidding.” She says.

Rey sighs, “Don’t be so certain. The mission we are going to undergo is one of stealth and infiltration. The main reason I am talking to you instead of just ordering you to come with me is that I want you to realize that your opinions matter to me. Also, this mission will be much more personal for me than for you.” Rey says.

Kayla frowns.”Personal? How so?” She asks.

Rey looks her in the eyes. “Because it is going to involve us infiltrating the Resistance and thus, coming into close contact with your mother, father, uncle, and aunt.” 

Kayla’s eyes widen before she sighs. Eyes downcast, Kayla says, “I will do it, but one thing confuses me. Both my mother and father will sense who I am, and I am sure my father will sense who you are. How are we going to infiltrate them if we would get found out the second we enter their system?” The former Knight of Ren asks.

Rey smirks. “Now that is where you will need to accompany me to the surface of this planet. There is a Sith ritual that hides the Force signature and presence of those who use it. There is one drawback, though. It requires a blood sacrifice to successfully work. Unfortunately, the sacrifice must be Force-sensitive. I have to ask. Is there a Knight of Ren you dislike enough to be willing to allow their use in the sacrifice?” Rey asks, red eyes looking into Kayla’s eyes inquisitively. 

Kayla’s eyes darken. “Yes. His name is Kier Ren. He has always been the Knight to push the rest of us around. He is brutal. To a degree where Kylo has had to talk with him. A SITH had to tell Kier to be less brutal.”

Rey’s eyes narrow, “What has he done that lead to Kylo talking to him?” She asks. 

Kayla looks into Rey’s glowing red eyes and says, “He sees his deeds as those that will allow The First Order to fully control the galaxy, but they aren’t. They are those of a murderer, madman, and rapist.” 

When Rey hears the man is a rapist, her decision is already made. A cloud of dark energy surrounds the Sith Empress and Kayla has to take a step back. “It's settled then. Kier Ren will be our sacrifice. Meet me in hanger one in an hour. I need to talk to Kylo and get Kier.” She orders.

Kayla nods, “Yes, milady. I will be there.” 

Rey moves to exit the room but Kayla stops her with a question, “Why do you want me to accompany you? I know for a fact that you could easily do this mission on your own. Why have me slow you down?”

Rey hesitates before responding, “I am not going to explain my reasons to you. You do not need a reason from me to follow my orders.” Rey sees hurt in Kayla’s eyes and quickly adds, “I do not yet trust you, Kayla. Once I do, I will be more comfortable telling you my reasons.” 

At that, Kayla nods. Rey exits the room and walks to the door across the hallway. Once again, she knocks. A minute later, Kylo opens the door. He looks surprised to see her but gestures for her to enter all the same. 

He leads her to a table that is a replica of the one in Kayla’s room. “Not that I mind, milady, but why are you here?” He asks. 

She looks at him for a moment before saying, “I am leaving for a mission, and Kayla is accompanying me. I wanted to inform you.” She says.

Kylo nods, “Well, thank you for informing me, milady. May I ask why Kayla is accompanying you and I am not?” He asks.

Rey nods, “You may. The reason you are not coming is that we are going to infiltrate the Resistance and unfortunately, you would be instantly recognized. Kayla and I are going to use a Sith ritual to mask our Force signatures, but our appearances will remain mostly the same. We will obviously have to make minor changes such as my eyes. Kayla will need to slightly vary her facial features, but she was much younger than you were when she was last observed and she has changed much more.” 

Kylo nods, “I understand.” He says.

Rey looks at him before saying, “We will be taking Kier down to the surface of the planet.” She says.

Kylo’s eyes widen and he raises his eyebrow curiously, “Why?” He asks.

Rey looks him in the eyes and says, “We are going to kill him and use his blood to complete the Sith ritual. I talked to Kayla and she is the one who suggested Kier.”

Kylo’s looks at her indifferently. “Okay. He is too brutal; even for my own taste. I wouldn’t have kept him as a Knight, but Snoke insisted.” 

Rey looks at him for a moment before nodding. “I must say, I expected you to be more against the idea.” She says before turning to walk out of his quarters. 

Kylo asks, “May I come with you to his cell? I wish to see his reaction to what you have planned for him.” 

Rey nods, “Of course.” She walks out the door with Kylo close behind her. She feels the Force being used and turns to see Kylo’s saber fly into his hand. He clips it onto his belt before following her out the door. Both Rey and Kylo pull their hoods over their faces and Kylo puts his mask on. 

Rey leads Kylo through the corridors of the _Ultimus_ until they reach the holding cells of the Knights of Ren. Rey turns to Kylo, “Lead me to Kier.” She orders. 

Kylo nods and walks briskly in front of her and towards the cell. He walks up to the doors of cell three and gestures towards it. “ He is in here.” He says.

Rey nods and gestures with her hand to open the cell door. The doors can only be opened using the Force by someone with Palpatine blood. Rey moves forward, ordering, “Wait here until I call you, Kylo.” She walks in and is greeted with the sight of Kier lying on his side staring at the wall of his cell. Rey sneers at the man, remembering what Kayla said about him. She pulls off her hood and raises her left hand, sending a brief burst of Force Lightning at him.

Kier instantly shoots up from his spot on the floor and glares at her. When he sees her, his glare turns into a cold smirk. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Kier says, walking towards her, “You are a pretty little bitch, aren’t you?” He says. 

Rey just gestures upwards with her right hand and Kier slams into the ceiling of his cell. Kier falls to the ground but instantly sits up, “Ah, so you have powers. How cute. You’re a cold little bitch too, huh?” He says, unaffected by his collision with the metal ceiling. “I will fix that. Take off your clothes and bend over and I will think about letting you live.” Kier sneers. 

Rey just looks at him, not moving. “Kylo, enter.” She calls. 

A moment later, Kylo Ren walks into the cell. Kier’s eyes widen. “Kylo, Kier here says if I bend over and remove my clothes, _he_ will think about letting me live. Should I do as he says?” Rey asks.

Kylo looks at Kier in horror before closing his hand into a fist. “You fool.” Kylo hisses at Kier. “Do you have any idea how powerful the woman you are talking to is? Do you have any idea who she is related to?” Kier begins to gasp as his air supply is cut off.

Once Kylo drops him, Kier turns to look at her once more before looking back at Kylo. “No, I don’t. Now free me and send your new bitch away. I will take her later.” He says. 

Rey sees Kylo’s eyes get even wider, but before he can say anything, Rey says, “Dear Kier. You seem to have misinterpreted this situation. You see?” She says, gesturing with her right hand downwards. 

Kylo recognizes the motion and drops to a knee, bending his head in a gesture of respect. Kier looks at his master in shock before his shock turns to fury. “So, Ben Solo has won the fight. Snoke ordered me to kill you if you ever betrayed him so that is what I will do. Then I will take this girl and pound into her into she bleeds. Then and only then will I allow her to go.”

Kier takes a step towards Kylo and Rey looks at him in shock. Before she can stop herself, she bursts into laughter, causing both Kylo and Kier to look at her in shock. “How stupid can one person be? Do you not understand the situation, Kier Ren? I am here for a reason and that reason isn’t to listen to your empty threats. I don’t have time for this.” Her demeanor changes suddenly from her previous laughter and she raises both of her hands to point at Kier. 

Kier smirks, “Oh no…What are you going to do to me? Point at me?” The Knight asks sarcastically. 

His next words are cut off by a cry of agony as red lightning impacts his body from Rey’s hands. 

Rey begins to laugh cruelly as she listens to Kier's screams of agony. Only once Kier’s eyes roll up in his head and he falls unconscious does Rey stop her merciless attack. Kier’s formerly unblemished skin is now wrinkled in much the same way as Rey’s grandfather's skin is. Rey turns and walks out of the cell, calling for some Sith Troopers to come to get the knight. Two troopers walk into the cell and pick up the unconscious Knight, “Take him to my Fury-class ship in hanger one. Lock him in a cell on board.” Rey orders them. 

They both nod and carry the Knight out of the cell. Rey turns to face Kylo, her cape billowing at her sudden movement. “I do not yet know when I return but I trust you are intelligent to not try and undermine my authority while I am away. I have given orders for you to be allowed to roam this ship as you please but you are not to exit it unless either I or my grandfather say otherwise.” She says. 

Kylo nods, “Yes milady.” He says.

Rey nods and makes her way briskly from the cell. As she passes Kylo, her ungloved right-hand brushes against Kylo’s gloved left hand. A spark travels through her body. Rey brushes the feeling aside through an underlying sense of confusion remains. “Why did my body react like that to brushing against him?” She asks herself as she walks towards her hanger. 

When she reaches the hanger, she sees Kayla standing near the Fury-class shuttle, admiring the ship. Rey walks towards her and asks, “Have the Sith Troopers carrying Kier arrived yet?” 

Kayla nods her head. “Yes. The troopers placed him into a holding cell on this ship and are awaiting your orders.” She says, gesturing at the Fury-class ship. 

Rey nods and walks up the ramp onto the ship. “Excellent. Follow me.” She says.

Kayla walks behind Rey and onto the Fury-class shuttle. Rey makes her way to the bridge of the ship while Kayla stops to sneer at Kier in the holding cell. 

Rey guides the ship off the ground and towards the Sith Citadel on Exegol. Once the ship lands, Rey walks towards the exit of the ship with Kayla close behind her. The two Sith Troopers following close behind with a still unconscious Kier Ren between them.

Rey leads Kayla towards the Citadel before turning to the Sith Troopers. “You are dismissed. Return to the ship.” She orders. 

The troopers walk away and Rey gestures with her right hand. Kier’s body floats off the ground and Rey continues her walk to the Citadel, Kayla and Kier both following, though one not following by choice. 

Rey leads Kayla to the metal lift with Kier floating along next to her. Rey makes a left after exiting the lift, heading away from the Throne Room. She comes to a door made of red stone and gently places her palm against the door. The door creaks and opens slowly, dust raining down from the ceiling as it slides open. 

Rey turns to Kayla, “This is the ritual room. Follow me so we can complete this ritual.” She orders. 

Rey walks into the center of the room and guides the body of Kier into a circle in the center of the room outlined in red. She points at a circle on one side of the center circle and says, “Sit in that circle and close your eyes. Picture the minor changes you feel will be necessary to hide your identity from your blood relatives. Once you have finished that, tell me.” 

Rey closes her eyes and does the same, picturing herself with green eyes rather than her traditional red eyes. She keeps the image in her head and looks at Kayla who is deep in thought. A few moments later, Kayla opens her eyes and nods at Rey. “I am ready.” 

Rey nods and begins to chant in Ancient Sith, “Elgtimas tave kraujas sulig sis aukotis, nu draw ant tave tsis midwan kia kastru nuyak appearance ir edoui iv nuyak accomplice. Change our features kia partija edoui kash our dvasi. Odacon tave qy signature iv abid nu ir nuyak accomplice sulig edoui kuris tariam reiksme mus.” 

After her final word, Kier’s eyes shoot open as he screams in terror and agony. From all limbs and parts of his body, blood pours onto the stone. Kier’s screams stop finally as his blood loss was too much for his body to handle. He is dead. 

Meanwhile, Rey and Kayla’s bodies float up into the air as red sparks float around them. Black shadows rush up from the ground and engulf the faces of Rey and Kayla. When the shadows recede, Rey’s eyes are now green rather than red. Rey turns to look at Kayla and smiles. 

Kayla’s formerly black hair is now a dark blonde in color and her formerly brown eyes are now a light purple. 

The body of Kier Ren still lies in the center of the room but Rey quickly gestures with her hand and the floor beneath his body falls away, dropping it into shadows. 

Rey stands up with Kayla following. Rey grins at Kayla. “Now our mission can begin. Now we can infiltrate the biggest pest to my ascension.” She says, a cold, merciless look on her face, causing Kayla to shiver. 

**————Supreme Leader Snoke POV————**

As Snoke sits on his throne, he begins to worry. Kylo Ren has not been responding to any form of communication. He wonders if perhaps Kylo lost his eternal battle to Ben Solo. “No.” He thinks to himself. “I would have sensed if he fully turned back to the light.” 

Suddenly, General Hux walks into the room, face tinged with fear. “Pardon the interruption, Supreme Leader. We have received footage that I feel you need to see.” 

Snoke nods his ascent and Hux places a Holo-projector on the floor of the throne room. An image of a sandy planet appears and Snoke watches in rapt attention as a Star Destroyer exits hyperspace and fires a beam of energy at the planet. A few seconds later, the planet explodes outwards. Snoke’s eyes widen in shock at the ridiculous power the single Star Destroyer possessed. “Who could control that ship? Who could have the power, money, or capabilities to command and construct a ship like that? Are there more of them? Is that who captured the Knights of Ren? Is that the girl Kylo Ren told him about? And last but not least, is that where Kylo Ren is?” All these questions run through Snoke’s head but none of them have answers. 

Snoke dismisses Hux and tries to have a Force vision. His concentration is interrupted by a tremor in the Force as Kier Ren dies. Snoke’s eyes widen. “Who could have killed the brutal Kier Ren?” He asks himself.

**Sith translations in English:**

Elgtimas tave kraujas sulig sis aukotis, nu draw ant tave tsis midwan kia kastru nuyak appearance ir edoui iv nuyak accomplice. Change our features kia partija edoui kash our dvasi. Odacon tave qy signature iv abid nu ir nuyak accomplice sulig edoui kuris tariam reiksme mus. **(Using the blood from this sacrifice, I draw on the Sith power to alter my appearance and those of my accomplice. Change our features to match those in our mind. Hide the Force signature of both I and my accomplice from those who would sense us.)**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Previous chapter:**

**————Supreme Leader Snoke POV————**

Snoke dismisses Hux and tries to have a Force vision. His concentration is interrupted by a tremor in the Force as Kier Ren dies. Snoke’s eyes widen. “Who could have killed the brutal Kier Ren?” He asks himself.

**Chapter 8(Infiltration of the Resistance)**

**————Kayla Ren POV————**

Rey sits in the pilot’s chair with Kayla in the co-pilot’s chair as the Fury-class ship speeds through hyperspace. Silence has reigned over the two ever since they boarded the shuttle towards Endor. Rey interrupts that silence, saying, “We are going to make a stop on Malachor. A planet home to a destroyed Sith Temple as I have a contact who is going to meet is there to give us a stolen freighter and intercepted Resistance clearance codes. From there, we will wait for the right moment and then land at the Resistance base. We will work to meet your mother, father, uncle, and aunt and once we do, we will use their knowledge to doom their existences.” 

Kayla nods. She goes to speak but Rey interrupts her, “Also, we are going to need aliases while we are infiltrating the Resistance. I am going to be Kira Mirtis and you are going to be my sister. You may pick your first name but your last name will obviously be Mirtis.” Kayla nods again.

A few moments later, Kayla says, “I like the name Violet and it fits the color of my eyes. Although milady, I am not sure about your name. I used to call myself Kira Jade. My blood-relatives might notice the name and investigate us more thoroughly.” 

The Sith Empress closes her eyes and sighs before saying, “It shouldn’t matter. Your mother should be able to tell that I am not you because of our non-existent Force signatures, as I am sure she knows yours very well.”

Kayla looks remains silent for a moment before nodding, “I guess you are right.” She says. Kayla smirks as she adds, “And it might serve as a painful reminder to what my mother and father lost.” 

Rey’s lips turn up slightly as she says, “That is true. We will eventually reveal ourselves to the galaxy once more and I continue my conquest. It might serve as useful to try and sway as many Republic senators as I can so less oppose me when I seize power.”

After a minute of silence, Rey says, “We are going to need a background story for the pair of us.” Kayla nods in agreement.

After a moment, Rey adds, “I doubt you know this but Mirtis is Ancient Sith for Death. I do not believe they will recognize Ancient Sith but if they do, we will need a reason for having our last name being death.” 

Kayla Ren nods and says, “What about if when we were young, our parents were murdered and we were taken in by an ancient Jedi librarian? That way, the knowledge of the Sith language would make sense and we would have a reason for our last name.”

The Sith Empress looks thoughtful, “That is actually a plausible idea. The most well known Jedi Librarian was Jocusta Nu. She disappeared after Anakin Skywalker’s attack on the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. We can say that she fled Coruscant. We can say that she rescued us from our house after a squad of Storm Troopers invaded our apartment and killed our parents on a remote outer rim planet. From there, she took us and her to Devaron. Devaron is a remote planet, home to an ancient Jedi Temple ruin, making a Jedi Librarian fleeing there even more likely. Another bonus to that story is if we ever have to reveal we have a strong connection to the Force, they might just assume that is why the Jedi Librarian saved us.”

Kayla nods in agreement. Rey stands up from the pilot’s chair and walks towards the cargo hold of the ship. “Accompany me, Kayla. I had more inconspicuous clothing made for us. We can’t exactly wear our Sith outfits into the Resistance base. We will also need to leave our lightsabers behind.” Rey says.

Rey walks into another room off the cargo hold and gestures with her right hand. A metal box floats out into view and opens. Inside is one grey and one white outfit, designed for the modest heat of Endor. Rey grabs the grey one, leaving the white one to Kayla. “You change in here. I have a private chamber across the hall I will use.” Rey orders.

Kayla agrees and Rey walks out and across the hallway, grey outfit in hand. Entering her chambers, she carefully unattaches her lightsaber and places it reverently on an alter in the center of the room. She walks over to a mirror in the corner of the room and places the grey outfit on the side table next to the mirror. She then methodically removes her Sith outfit until she stands naked before the mirror. Rey is no fool. She knows that her body is near perfection and her pale skin and now green eyes make her features stand out even more and her dark brown nearly black hair only makes her elegant face even more beautiful. Her breasts remain smaller than those of many women but Rey likes them that way. It makes it easier for her to move and fight. Her chest is muscled and her arms are of good proportion to the rest of her body. The area around her cunt is absent of hair, leaving her womanhood easily visible. Her pale legs are also very muscular but once again don’t overshadow the rest of her body, leaving her in near perfect shape. 

Rey turns to the outfit she placed on the table and begins to put it on. Once she finishes, she looks into the mirror once more. She sighs, realizing just how much more she likes wearing black than grey. The grey outfit doesn’t contrast her pale features nearly as much as her Sith outfit does. She reaches up and runs a hand through her long, black hair. 

A few minutes later, the alarm indicating that the ship is approaching Malachor and that Rey and Kayla need to strap in. Rey exits her chamber and sees Kayla walking out of the other room. Rey has to admit that Kayla looks good in the White outfit, her blonde hair and purple eyes combining well with the color. Rey begins walking at a brisk pace towards the bridge of the ship with Kayla close behind. 

She enters the bridge and sits in the pilot’s chair, Kayla sitting in the co-pilot’s chair. Rey reaches down and presses the controls to have the ship exit hyperspace at the appropriate time and place. 

The Fury-class ship exits hyperspace abruptly and the black planet is instantly visible. Rey guides the ship towards the surface where a flashing yellow light indicates where for her to go. 

As the ship draws nearer to the light, it becomes clearer what is producing the light. A massive fire is lit and sitting on a black stone in front of it is a figure dressed in a black cloak. A few hundred feet from the fire sit two ships. A freighter and a large transport. 

Rey lands the ship near the fire and walks out of the bridge, saying, “Come with me, Kayla.” 

Rey walks through the cargo hold and makes her way over to the figure sitting by the fire. As Rey nears the fire, the figure slowly rises, making a creaking noise as he does. Kayla’s eyes are drawn to the figures eyes as they glow a yellow color usually possessed by Sith. Then the sound from the figure’s legs causes Kayla to look down. The figure’s legs are made of metal. “Milady.” The figure says, voice being altered by a mask on the figure’s face. 

Rey nods her head, a smirk adorning her pale features. “Maul.” She says.

Kayla can’t hide her gasp. “ _Darth Maul lives?_ ” She thinks to herself.

The former Sith Lord looks at Kayla and says, “Ah. Seems as though your companion recognizes me, Empress.” 

Rey nods, amusement clear on her face, “It seems she does. Remove your mask, Maul.” She orders.

The former Sith Lord reaches a hand up to his face and slowly pulls back his black hood. Then he reaches around the back of his head and carefully pulls off the mask. The Sith, being well known amongst Dark Side users, still retains his famous black and red markings, along with the black horns on the top of his head, indicating him to be a brother of those found on Dathomir. 

Rey speaks once more, “I thank you for your help, Maul. I will contact you again soon.” She says.

Maul nods before saying, “Yes, milady.” Maul reaches into a pack at his side and pulls out a Holo-pad, handing it to Rey. “The Resistance clearance codes are on this Holo-pad. Press the button on the bottom of the screen and then scroll through the files until you see the clearance codes you need.” 

Rey nods and turns to walk away, “Milady.” Maul calls. “I have heard word from one of my spies in the First Order that Snoke is ordering his generals to execute Kylo Ren on sight. He seems to believe the rumors that Kylo has returned to the light.”

Rey nods once more before walking towards the new freighter Maul is supplying for them. She calls over her shoulder, “Thank you, Maul. I assume it goes without question that if anything is missing off of my ship, your life is forfeit. I do not wish to have to kill you as you are a powerful ally, but do not betray my trust.”

Maul responds with, “Of course, Lady Palpatine.”

Behind her, Rey hears Kayla gasp, and Rey sighs. “ _Great. Now I will need to explain to Kayla more of who I am._ ” She thinks to herself. 

Rey continues on her way to the freighter with Kayla following close behind. She reaches the ship and presses the button on the side of the front leg of the ship to lower the ramp. The sound of metal scraping across metal is heard as the ramp to the freighter lowers. Rey walks confidently onboard and through the cargo hold, coming to a metal latter. Rey quickly scampers up the latter and walks briskly into the bridge of the ship. She hears Kayla’s footsteps following close behind as she sits in the pilot’s chair, familiarizing herself with the controls of the new vessel. She reaches out her left hand and presses a glowing green button and the ship’s engines roar to life. 

Rey sits back in her chair and leans her head gently against the headrest before refocusing and reaching for the controls to the ship. She grabs the steering device with both hands and raises it up, causing the freighter to jerkily rise off the ground. Rey leans the control back a little and the nose of the ship points skywards. Then she quickly pushes forward on the control and the freighter shoots forwards, through the atmosphere and into the starry, void of space. 

Rey punches a few controls on the Navi-computer and sets a course for the Endor system. She jumps the ship into hyperspace and then turns to face Kayla. “I am guessing you have a lot of questions, huh?” Rey asks.

Kayla slowly nods her head, “Yes, milady. If you are willing to answer them of course.” She says.

Rey nods her head, “Long story short, my grandfather is Sheev Palpatine, commonly known as Darth Sidious.” Rey says.

Kayla gasps once more, before asking, “Wait, is?” 

Rey smirks, “My grandfather lives. Who do you think trained me? Or guided me to Exegol for that matter.” 

Kayla just says, “Well, that does explain why you have as much power as you do.” 

Rey smirks, “Yes, it does. What no one else knows is that I have never fully released my power. If I did, the backlash in the Force would destroy everything that is anywhere near me. My overwhelming raw Dark Side power would saturate those around me in dark energy to a degree where they would either die or their souls would be ripped from their bodies. The downside to that power is that I cannot control it like I can control the other powers I possess.That is why I have never fully released my power.”

Kayla is no longer surprised by her Empress and just nods, leaning her head back into the rough cushion of the freighter’s chairs. 

Besides her, Rey closes her eyes and begins to meditate. Kayla follows her example and closes her eyes, doing her best to empty her mind of all thoughts but failing. Her nervousness over trying to hide her identity from her close blood relatives doesn’t allow for her to meditate clearly. 

A few minutes later, the Sith Empress opens her eyes and stands up. “I am going to my quarters to rest. I believe that their is another chamber next to mine if you want to rest as well.” Rey says. 

Kayla nods and follows Rey back through the metal corridors and back down the metal latter, arriving back in the cargo hold with the rooms they used to change in. 

Rey walks into her room, not sparing Kayla another glance. The metal doors slam shut behind her. Kayla turns away from the Empress and walks into the chamber on the right side of the one Rey just entered. 

The chamber is dark and dust covers the little furniture is placed in the small chamber. Using the Force, Kayla senses around the room for a light switch and activates it with the Force. She makes her way over to the cot in the corner of the room and slaps it with the palm of her hand to try and remove the dust from it. She sighs when the majority of the dust remains on the rough material of the cot but lowers herself down onto it anyway. She closes her eyes and allows the Force to lead her mind.

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

Instead of resting like she had told Kayla she was going to, Rey instantly closes her eyes, focusing on Kylo Ren. “ **Kylo. I need to speak with you.** ” She says into his mind.

Rey nearly laughs out loud when she senses Kylo’s shock at her statement in his mind. “ **Of course, milady. How may I help you?** ” He asks.

“ **I have a new mission for you. It will be very difficult to pull off and it is essential that it is done correctly.** ” Rey pauses, gauging Kylo’s reaction, before saying, “ **I need you to return to the First Order and play the roll of Snoke’s lackey. In order for me to rule the galaxy, I must control every faction that possesses power and the First Order is one of those factions. I will be infiltrating the Resistance and will most likely have to pretend to fight for them against you. You may use all the power you possess against me as we both know you can’t harm me. Once al of my plans begin, I will have you rule the First Order as Supreme Leader while I tell you what to do from the position of power I will seize from the galaxy.** ”

Kylo Ren just sighs, “ **I will do as you command, milady. How do you expect me to convince Snoke of where and why I was gone?** ” He asks.

Rey just smirks, “ **I leave that to you.** ” She says. “ **Good luck, Kylo Ren. We will meet again after my plans come to fruition.** ” 

With that, Rey severs the connection and walks over to her cot. She sits down slowly, sighing as she does so. Her thoughts filled with plans for goals. She knows that for a while, while she is with the Resistance, she will have to play the roll of a weak, Resistance fighter. That is, if they allow Rey and Kayla to fight with them.

Hours later, Rey senses the ship nearing its exit from light speed so she makes her way to the bridge of the ship, sitting herself down in the captain’s chair. She flips the necessary controls for the ship to exit light speed. The streaked stars before the ship return to stars as the ship returns to normal speed. 

Out of the front viewport sits the greenest planet Rey has personally ever seen. She has memories of almost every planet in the galaxy from the former Sith. She even has Darth Vader’s memories of Endor. 

The metal door behind her opens and Kayla walks in and sits in the co-pilot’s chair. Rey guides the ship towards the planet’s surface when suddenly a voice fills the comm system, “Unidentified aircraft, verify your identity or you will not be allowed to land.” 

Rey sighs, reaching for the Holo-pad Maul gave her. She taps the button and scrolls to the left a few times until the file she needs appears. She taps on it and then inserts the Holo-pad into the ship. She reaches for the comm and says, “Sending clearance codes now.” She says. 

A few moments of tense silence follow, eventually broken by the voice saying, “You are cleared for landing on Pad Two.” 

Rey sighs, releasing a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. The grabs the metal steering control and pulls it up, aiming the ship towards the planet’s surface. After landing the ship, she turns to Kayla, “I am aware this is going to be hard for you, Kayla. I am thankful you chose to accept this mission. Now, remember our backstory. We are Kira and Violet Mirtis. We were rescued from a remote outer rim planet by Jocusta Nu and she then took us to Devaron. We have slight Force powers, but were never fully trained so we will have to act much, much weaker than we actually are.”

Kayla nods but can’t suppress the feelings of nervousness that swell up inside her. She is about to see her parents for the first time in over a decade. It will be there first time she sees Luke Skywalker, knowing his relation to her. 

Rey and Kayla both take a deep breath as they walk back to the cargo hold. Rey presses the button to lower the ramp and the two walk out. A gust of wind buffets the two, causing Rey’s black hair and Kayla’s blonde hair to billow up behind them. They are greeted by a dark-skinned man that nearly causes Rey to gasp. “ _I remember that man. FN-2187. He is the Stormtrooper who I tortured while on Jakku. That goodness the Sith magic has changed my appearance._ ” 

Besides FN-2187 stands another man dressed in Resistance pilot’s outfit. The two men walk towards Rey and Kayla and FN-2187 says, “Welcome to the Resistance, girls. I am Finn, and the man at my side is named Poe. Our General Leia would like to speak with you as to how you knew how to get here and the clearance codes to land. May I ask your names?” 

Rey does her best to smile normally and says, “Of course. I am Kira and my sister’s name is Violet.” 

The two men smile at that. “Beautiful names.” Poe says. “Now please follow me. I am going to lead you to our General Leia.” 

Rey and Kayla follow Poe inside the wreckage of the Death Star that the Resistance has turned into a base of operations. They are lead through many metal corridors that are obviously carved out of the wreckage. The ground they walk on is dirt and even the walls and ceiling are overgrown with green vines. They arrive at a metal door that slides open after Poe presses his finger to a Biometric scanner. “The general is waiting for you in here.” He says.

Rey and Kayla walk in and Rey senses Kayla’s nervousness and anger rise at the sight before them. Both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa-Solo sit waiting for them, a golden droid standing next to the two. As Rey nears the famous twins of Darth Vader, she carefully uses the Force to check the power levels of the two and is surprised and slightly apprehensive at the amount of power the two possess. Against either one of them, Rey would destroy them, but the two twins seem to be bonded in the Force in some way and the closer their proximity, the more power they possess. 

Leia sees the two of them and beckons them over, rising from her spot on the crate next to her brother. She walks over to the Holo-table in the middle of the room and says, “Please join me here, young ones.” 

Rey nearly snarls at the name but does as she is told with Kayla following close behind. Leia gestures with her right hand at a pair of metal crates across from her, “Please, sit.” 

Rey and Kayla do and Leia sits down across from the two. A moment later, Luke joins his sister sitting across from them and the gold droid walks over to stand behind the two Skywalker twins. Leia leans forward, saying, “We are glad to have two young women like you, but we have a few questions to ask you first if that is acceptable.” 

Rey and Kayla nod ascent so Leia asks, “What are your names and where are you from?” She asks.

Rey looks down, pretending to be sad, “My name is Kira Mirtis and my sister’s name is Violet Mirtis. We are from a planet named Devaron.”

Rey notices Luke visibly flinch at her name and Leia’s yes widen. The twins are interrupted from their thoughts by the golden droid. “I am terribly sorry to interrupt, Master Luke, Master Leia.” The golden droid turns to Rey and Kayla, asking, “Are you aware that Mirtis is the Ancient Sith word for death?” The droid asks.

Luke and Leia both gasp in horror but Rey smiles, “Yes. We are aware of the meaning of Mirtis. It was given to us by the women who saved us in honor of us narrowly avoiding death.”

Luke and Leia both nod in understanding before Leia says, frowning, “Why are you sad, child?” She asks, noticing the sadness in both Kayla and Rey. 

Rey inhales, “I am sad because the women who saved us and raised us from a young age died. As she was dying, she sent us here with clearance codes and your location.” She says.

Leia nods her head, buying into the story, “I see. I am sorry for bringing up a sad memory. May I ask the name of the women who raised you?”

This time, Kayla responds, “Her name was Jocusta Nu.” 

This time, Luke inhales sharply, “Are you certain?” He asks.

Rey plasters a look. Of confusion on her face, saying, “Yes we are. Why?” 

Luke shares a meaningful look with Leia. “Because Jocusta Nu was believed dead decades ago after Darth Vader’s attack on the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. She was the official librarian of the Jedi. Where did the two of you meet her?” He asks.

Rey allows a lone tear to appear in the corner of her left eye, “We were too young to remember the exact moment we met her. She saved us from our burning home after a patrol of Stormtroopers invaded our house and killed our parents.” She says, making sure to talk sadly.

Both Luke and Leia look sympathetic. Luke speaks, “I am sorry you had to go through that, young ones. I have one final question for you. Are you Force sensitive.” He asks bluntly.

Leia slaps her brother’s shoulder in warning but Rey just smiles, “Yes. Mr. Skywalker. Jocusta Nu did her best to teach us what she could but she wasn’t a full Jedi and was thus incapable of training us to our full potential. She kept apologizing for that as she became older. That is why we were sent here actually. She wished for us to meet the two of you and hope that you could show us our place in all this.” Rey finishes.

The two twins smile, “I am glad you found us, young one. Evil is making its rise in this galaxy and even the best people can be corrupted with the darkness.” 

Rey smirks internally, laughing in glee, “ _Oh if only you knew who you were talking to._ ” She thinks to herself.

Luke and Leia both stand up and Leia says, “Welcome to the Resistance. We are going to give you chambers near our own so that we may easier begin to teach you the ways of the Force. I apologize for this fact but due to our limited space, we require that two people share a room. I assume the two of you are okay with sharing with each other?” 

Rey and Kayla both nod. Leia smiles. “Good. C-3PO will lead you to your new quarters. Tomorrow evening we may begin your training. Rest for as long as you need. I am sure you have need of it after the events of the past few days you have suffered through.” 

The golden droid walks forward, “Please follow me, Masters Kira and Violet.” He says. 

The two follow the droid back through the maze of corridors and into the open air. Suddenly, Kayla freezes in her tracks. Rey follows her gaze and sees a red-headed women that can only be one person. Mara Jade. 

Rey subtly grabs Kayla’s right hand in her own left hand and gently guides her after C-3PO and away from her mother. The droid leads them to a metal door marked with a red line. “This is your room, new Masters.” The droid says.

Unlike the doors Rey are now used to, these doors open with a handle rather that using technology. Rey reaches out with her right hand and grabs the doorknob, turning it clockwise. The door screeches as it opens and Rey sighs, “ _This is going to be a long time to live behind a squeaky door._ ” She thinks, leading a still stunned Kayla inside and closing the door behind them. 

She gently guides Kayla over to one of the two beds in the room and sits her down. Kayla speaks up, “I am sorry for freezing like that, milady. Thank you for helping me. I don’t know why I froze upon seeing my mother when I didn’t even really react to seeing my father.” 

Rey smiles at Kayla. “I don’t mind helping you and it is understandable you froze. That was the first time you saw your mother in over a decade.” 

Besides her, Kayla begins to shake as she tries to hold in the tears. “Shush.” Rey says calmly. “Let the tears out. Only the Jedi do not believe in emotion.” 

Kayla breaks into a full out sob and Rey wraps her left arm around Kayla’s shoulders, consoling the first friend she has ever had.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Previous chapter:**

**————Rey Palpatine POV ————**

Rey smiles at Kayla. “I don’t mind helping you and it is understandable you froze. That was the first time you saw your mother in over a decade.” 

Besides her, Kayla begins to shake as she tries to hold in the tears. “Shush,” Rey says calmly. “Let the tears out. Only the Jedi do not believe in emotion.” 

Kayla breaks into a full out sobs and Rey wraps her left arm around Kayla’s shoulders, consoling the first friend she has ever had.

**Chapter 9(Jedi Training?)**

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

Kylo Ren feels his nervousness reaching new heights as he flies his TIE-Silencer into his personal hanger on the _Supremacy_. He knows that his ‘master,’ Snoke will demand answers as to where he was and what he was doing. 

After landing his ship, Kylo sits in the pilot’s chair for a few moments to collect himself. He runs a hand through his long, black curls and slowly places the metal mask back over his features. Sighing, he opens the front hatch. He steps out and is greeted by the red hair of General Hux. The general smirks at him, “The Supreme Leader wishes to see you in the throne room immediately. He is pissed with you, Ren.” 

Kylo sneers behind his mask but says in his modulated voice, “Know your place, general. I could kill you whenever I want to.” 

The red-headed general scoffs, “As if the Supreme Leader would all—“ Hux gets cut off as Kylo tightens his telekinetic Force grip around the man’s throat. 

“I said remember your place, general. The next time you disrespect me, the feeling of my power tightening around your throat will be the last thing you ever feel.” Kylo snarls. 

The red-headed general manages to nod his head through his gagging. Kylo releases his telekinetic grip and with a flurry of his black cloak, makes briskly for the lift to take him to the throne room of the _Supremacy,_ trying desperately to come up with a reason for his absence to tell Snoke. His thoughts are interrupted by the voice of the Sith Empress in his head, “ **I have an idea as to what you should tell Snoke. Tell him that you went after your captured Knights and that you discovered that Darth Sidious lives. That should appease your master and move him away from his persistent search for me.** ” She says.

Kylo eyes widen and he nods his head and replies, “ **Thank you, milady. If I may ask, has your infiltration been successful? Is Kayla alright?”**

The Empress laughs coldly, “ **Of course. We are apparently going to be trained to be Jedi by your uncle and mother. Apparently, your mother was trained to be a Jedi**.” 

At that, Kylo’s hatred of his parents is solidified. “ _Then why did she send me to Luke!”_ He thinks to himself furiously. To the Empress, he says, “ **Okay. Thank you for the update, milady. I am meeting Snoke right now so goodbye, milady.** ” He says.

The Empress responds with, “ **You are welcome. Do not disappoint me, Kylo Ren. I am putting a tremendous amount of trust in you by sending you back to your former master with no mental restrictions on your mind.”**

In front of Kylo, the doors to the throne room open his former master sits on his throne in his golden pajamas once again. His Praetorian Guard are in their usual places around the throne room. Kylo walks out of the lift briskly and stops before the throne, reluctantly lowering himself into a submissive kneeling position. “The mighty, Kylo Ren.” His former master says, sarcasm plain in his voice. “When I found you, I saw raw, untamed power. And beyond that, something truly special. The potential of your bloodline. A new Vader…Now I fear I was mistaken.” 

Kylo nearly draws his blade then and there and attacks his master and it is only through his newfound purpose to serve his Empress that he holds back his attack. “I’ve given everything I have to you. To the Dark Side.” He says, his voice nearly not understandable because of the altering his mask does to it.

His former master looks at him in disgust, “Take that ridiculous thing off.”

Kylo hesitates, looking up at Snoke before reaching up and releasing the catch holding it tight against his face. He quickly removes the helmet and places it on the ground at his side. He shakes his head, causing his black curls to return to their usual places. He remains looking at the ground as his master says, “Yes…There it is. You have too much of your father’s heart in you, young Solo.” 

Kylo’s eyes widen and anger causes his hand to drift towards the hilt of his saber. Kylo responds with, “He means nothing to me. He and my mother. If I could find them I would kill them without hesitation.” He says angrily.

Snoke snarls at him, “And that deed would have unbalanced you. Split your spirit to the bone. You failed in what I tasked you with, Ren!” 

At that, Kylo shoots up onto two feet but before he can do anything to his former master, Snoke shoots blue Force Lightning at the floor which bounces and knocks Kylo off his feet, sending a flare of minor pain through his body. “ _His lightning is nothing compared to her’s.”_ He thinks.

From his spot on the ground, he manages to look up at his master as the Praetorian Guards around the throne room prepare their weapons. “Skywalker lives! The seed of the Jedi Order lives!” Snoke yells as he walks towards his throne and sits down once more, “And as long as it does, hope lives in the galaxy. I thought you’d be the one…to snuff it out. Alas, you’re no Vader. You’re just a child…in a mask.”

Once again Kylo rises, holding his mask in his right hand, and thinks about attacking Snoke. Instead, he slowly lowers himself back on to one knee, “I made a very important discovery while I was searching for my Knights.” Kylo says, feeling very surprised that his former master never asked where he was or where the other Knights were.

Snoke looks at him from his spot on the black throne. “What have you discovered, young Solo?” Snoke asks.

Kylo clinches his fists to try and control his anger before saying, “Darth Sidious lives. He is who has the massive Navy and my Knights are his prisoners. He executed Kier.”

Snoke’s eyes widen in horror, “No. No, that can’t be. Sidious is dead. Darth Vader threw him down a reactor shaft and then the Death Star exploded. There is no possible way he could have survived.”

Kylo’s eyes widen, having noticed what Snoke said about Vader. “ _Wait, Vader is the one who tried to kill Sidious? Why would he do that? Why would he kill his Sith master? He couldn’t have returned to the light and done it to save his son, could he?”_ Kylo asks himself.

Kylo is drawn out of his thoughts by his master asking, “My apprentice, how did you come across this information?”

Kylo sighs, “My Knights have trackers implanted in their spines. I followed that tracking signal to a world in the Unknown Regions. Thousands of Star Destroyers were waiting for me and I was captured by a tractor beam. From there, I was escorted to a throne room where Sidious was waiting for me.”

Snoke eyes Kylo, as if determining if he is being truthful. “If that is true, how did you escape?” 

Kylo looks into his master’s eyes, “I had to kill many of the red-armored soldiers as I fought my way to my ship. When I reached it, for some reason, no ships pursued me. It was as if they were letting me go.” 

Snoke acts as if he doesn’t hear Kylo, lost in thoughts. Kylo slowly places his mask back on his head and turns to make his way out of the throne room but before he can, he hears his master say, “I have another assignment for you, Kylo Ren. Our spies have picked up word that the Resistance has found two girls that are extremely powerful with the Force. If the girls are trained to be Jedi, our chances of building a true empire will crumble. I am sending you to Takodana. You are to capture Maz Kanata and interrogate her. She is a long-time supporter of the Resistance and will know where the Resistance base is. From there, take as many ships from the fleet as you need. Make sure you capture the new apprentices of the Skywalker twins and bring them to me.”

Kylo sneers behind his mask but nods his head, “Yes, master. Your will is mine to keep.” He says emotionlessly. Internally he thinks, “ _I can’t wait until the Empress is ready to kill my former master. Then I will finally be rid of him._ ” 

Kylo turns and walks briskly out of the throne room and into the lift, his black cloak billowing behind him. He turns on his comm and orders, “Ready my command shuttle. I have a mission to complete.” 

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

Rey rolls over, blinking her eyes to clear the sleep from them. She feels a body pressed against her own and is surprised to see Kayla Ren. The Knight of Ren begins to move next to her and Rey remains still. A few minutes later, Kayla opens her eyes. Her eyes widen when she sees she is pressed up against Rey’s body. Her eyes travel to Rey’s face and she says, “I am so sorry milady. I don’t know how this happened but—.“ 

Rey cuts her off, “It is okay, Kayla. It is as much my fault as it is yours. I must have fallen asleep after comforting you last night.” 

Rey untangles her legs from Kayla’s and lifts her body off of the cot. She then walks over to the closet. She opens it and inside she finds a new pair of leggings and a white training outfit for both her and Kayla. Rey grabs her clothes and walks over to the bathroom in the corner of the room. She turns to face Kayla saying, “I suggest you change, Kayla. We begin our Jedi training today.” 

Kayla nods her head, rising from her position on the cot to grab her clothes from the closet. Rey walks into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She walks towards the mirror in the room and removes her clothes from the day before. She neatly folds them and places them in a pile for her to get cleaned. As Rey inspects her reflection in the mirror closely, she notices that her eyes are slowly returning to their original red color. “ _I guess that is basically a timer.”_ Rey thinks. “ _As soon as my eyes return to their normal color, I will no longer be able to hide amongst the Resistance. From looking at my eyes, I would say that I probably have around a week before the illusions hiding my true appearance wears off._ ” 

After that, she carefully pulls on the new training outfit and glances into the mirror one last time. She likes the look of the white outfit but would still prefer her black and red Sith outfit any time. 

Rey decides to check in on Kylo and says through her mental abilities, “ **Kylo. How is the plan coming?** ” 

A few moments later, his deep voice responds, “ **All is well, milady. Snoke is sending me on a mission to Takodana to capture someone who knows the Resistance’s location. He then wants me to attack the Resistance and capture you and Kayla.”**

Rey sighs, “ **So Snoke knows Luke and Leia are training me and Kayla. I guess I should have expected that.** ” 

Kylo asks, “ **What should I do, milady? Should I attack you after I know where you are?** ” 

Rey responds, “ **Yes. My time with the Resistance will be short. I want you to attack in a week's time. I am just going to tell you that we are on Endor. After you ‘interrogate’ Maz Kanata, delay until this time a week from now. Then launch a full-out assault of this planet. Pretend to capture me and Kayla and take us to your master on the Supremacy. We will kill Snoke and you will take control over the First Order. I hope to have built some ties to members of the Resistance so I can manipulate them into rebuilding the Republic. Except at the last second, using the combined power of the First and Final Orders, I will seize control over Coruscant and rule the galaxy as is my destiny.”**

Rey can feel Kylo smiling through the bond, “ **I look forward to it, milady. Though I have a question. What will be the role I have after you ascend to the role of Empress of the Galaxy? Also, where will your capital be? Exegol or Coruscant?”**

Rey smiles, “ **All good questions. I believe that my capital will be on Exegol where the throne of the Sith is. As for your role, I am not yet sure. We shall see how our ascension goes and then go from there. I must go now, Kylo. Good luck and remember what I ordered. Attack the planet of Endor in exactly one week.** ” 

With that, Rey cuts off the mental links and walks out of the bathroom, grabbing her old clothes on the way. Kayla is sitting on the cot meditating, dressed in her new outfit. When Rey walks out, Kayla’s eyes open and she says, “Are you ready, milady? I must admit I am slightly worried I will lose control over my power and emotions and my Sith identity will be revealed.” 

Rey sighs, “I must admit that that possibility worries me too. Especially with me being the Sith Empress. My power is more likely to consume me due to my emotions. But alas, there is nothing we can do about that.” 

Rey walks to the door of their quarters. She turns to face Kayla, looking her in her purple eyes, “ **Kayla. This is Rey. I talked to Kylo. He is going to attack this planet in a week. He will ‘capture’ us and take us to Snoke. We will kill Snoke and Kylo will become the Supreme Leader of the First Order. I will explain the rest of the plan as we get closer to its fruition. For now, it is time for us to go get Jedi training. Remember, I will be by your side. If seeing your mother and father proves too much for you, we will come up with some excuse to return to our quarters.”**

Kayla nods her head and Rey spins around walking out of the room. Kayla follows closely behind as Rey navigates her way through the wreckage of the fallen Death Star. Rey latches her Force perception on the Force signatures of Luke and Leia and follows the signatures to its source, Kayla close behind.

When she reaches the source of the signal, she is surprised to see Luke and Leia, along with the men who introduced themselves as Poe and Finn standing before a Hologram of a short, wrinkled creature with metal rings for glasses around her eyes. 

Luke and Leia turn to the door as Rey and Kayla walk in. “Ah, welcome Kira, Violet. We have received some bad news and wanted to inform you as we are going to have to speed up your training.” Luke says.

Rey puts on a confused face before saying, “What is the bad news and who is that?” Pointing at the Hologram. 

This time, Leia responds, “Her name is Maz Kanata. She runs a watering hole on the planet Takodana. The bad news is that the First Order has blockaded Takodana with no explanation as to why. Maz has just received word that the First Order is demanding that Maz turn herself in and then the blockade will leave.” 

Next, Maz speaks, “Dear children, I am sorry you are being dragged into this conflict. When I turn myself over to Snoke and Ben Solo, the fight you are destined for will be getting closer.” With that, Maz shuts off her end of the transmission. 

Both Luke and Leia flinch at that name while the eyes of Poe and Finn widen. Poe asks, “Wait…what about the General’s son? Does he work for the First Order?” 

Rey internally smirks before saying, “General, are you wanting me to believe that you haven’t revealed your son’s whereabouts to your commanders? They deserve to know.” 

Both Luke and Leia look at Rey in shock, “Kira, how have you come to know who my son is?” Leia asks.

Rey smiles sadly, “Jocusta Nu told us. She saw it during one of her Force Meditation sequences.”

“I am lost here. The General’s son is where? Told you what?” Finn asks.

Leia turns slowly towards the confused faces of Poe and Finn. “There is something I must tell you.” Leia turns to face Finn. “I am sorry Finn. I know how much you hate my son.” 

Finn looks confused before his eyes widen in horror, “Your son…is…” Finn stutters, unable to finish his thought.

Poe meanwhile still looks confused. “Okay, what is going on here? Who is your son, General?” He asks.

Leia sighs, “My son. His name was Ben Solo. But his mind was warped and he now answers to a different name. My son is…” Leia hesitates, as though the truth is hard to say. “My son is Kylo Ren.” She announces. 

Poe’s eyes widen in shock and horror. “Your son…is Kylo Ren? How is that possible?” 

Leia sighs, “When Ben was a young boy, he had a great deal of his grandfather’s personality and passion. But with that personality came the negative sides of my father.”

Leia is cut off by Finn asking, “Sorry to interrupt, General, but who was your father?” 

Luke sighs and answers for his sister, “Leia and I are the twins of Anakin Skywalker. But unfortunately, our father was also better known under another name.” 

Poe sighs, “Who? What name did your father possess?”

Luke lowers his eyes to the ground, “Our father was known to the rest of the galaxy as Darth Vader.” 

Both Poe and Finn gasp once more while both Rey and Kayla remain silent and stoic. Leia turns to face the two Mirtis sisters and asks, “You two don’t seem surprised by that either. I assume Jocusta told you?” 

Both Rey and Kayla nod their heads. Leia sighs, “I am sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, Poe, Finn. We just didn’t know where to begin telling you that our father and my son are/were both Sith.” 

Poe and Finn both nod in understanding. Leia gestures with her right, saying, “Poe, Finn, you are dismissed. My brother and I need to begin training these young girls in matters of the Force.” 

Poe walks out but Finn remains behind, “General, I have been trying to tell you for a long time. I’m…” He hesitates. “I’m Force Sensitive. I know because whenever someone near me dies, I can sense their souls leaving their bodies. I even have slight premonition. In fights, I can sometimes see where my opponent will attack next.” 

Finn’s statement leaves Rey in shock. She slowly turns to face Kayla and sees her surprise mirrored on her face. Both Skywalker twins are looking at Finn in surprise as well. Finally, Luke says, “Well, we now have hope. Three Jedi apprentices is more than we ever dared hope. Now we will have five Jedi against four Sith.” 

Rey and Kayla share a quick smirk, knowing that the odds are far worse than that for the Resistance. 

Leia says, “Okay. Well now that there are three of you, we need to know what Jocusta Nu taught you. Luke, take Finn to the other corner of the room and explain to him the basics of the Force.” 

Luke nods and makes his way across the room, gesturing for Finn to follow him. The dark-skinned man follows the famous Jedi across the room, leaving Leia, Kayla, and Rey standing together. Leia goes to speak but before she can, a woman walks into the room with her flaming red hair blazing in the sunlight. Han Solo walks in right behind her. 

Rey does her best to subtly grab Kayla’s hand in an effort to support her. Kayla squeezes Rey’s hand and Rey has to use her powers to hide the wave of hatred and dark energy that rolls off of Kayla. 

Leia turns to Rey and Kayla and says, “Kira, Violet, this is Mara Jade. My brother’s daughter. And of course, this is my husband, Han Solo.” 

Kayla squeezes her eyes shut, clenching her hands into fists at her side. Rey’s hand begins to spasm from a lack of blood flow due to the tight grip Kayla has on her hand. 

Leia adds, “Please join me, Kira, Violet. It’s time we see how much Jocusta Nu was able to teach you.” 

Rey keeps her hand in Kayla’s and guides her over to where Leia is waiting. “Okay, you two. First I am going to ask you to recount all you learned with Jocusta Nu so I know where to begin training you.”

Rey steps forward, “Mrs. Leia…” Rey is cut off by Leia.

“Master,” Leia says. “While I am training you, you will address me as master.”

Rey has to fight her urge to sneer but is able to say, “Master…Jocusta Nu taught us to a level where we have completed all the training we would be required to complete if we were to attain the status of Jedi Knight. We passed the induction trials.”

Leia’s eyes widen. “Really? You are both equal in training to a Jedi Knight? Well, then we must test your skills. What kind of weapon were the two of you trained to use?”

Rey telepathically tells Kayla, “ **Tell her your true weapon. A single-bladed saber. I will tell her mine. The war is already won so I might as well have some fun with my soon-to-be victims.** ”

Kayla says, “The weapon I used to possess was a single-bladed saber.” 

“I wielded a double-bladed saber.” Rey states.

Leia’s eyes widen even further. “Wow. A double-bladed saber? I was going to say that we could have the two of you spar but I do not believe we have a double-bladed saber.”

“I could just use a single-bladed saber. Jocusta Nu wanted us versed in all forms of combat so we could defend ourselves if ever the need arises.” Rey responds.

Leia smiles. “Good. I will be right back with two sparring sabers. Let’s see what the two of you have to show.” Leia walks away.

“How are we going to do this spar, milady? Should we go all out?” Kayla asks Rey.

Rey shakes her head, a smirk forming on her face. “No. We must appear to still need some work on our combat. Also, if we were to fight our hardest, I would win. You are good, Kayla, but not that good.” 

Kayla smiles, “I understand, milady. So more sloppy form then we would usually have? Which fighting form do you use?”

Rey smirks again. “I use them all.”   
Kayla’s eyes widen. “All of them? How is that possible? Only a few Force users have ever found a way to combine all seven forms into a successful fighting style.”

Rey goes to respond but is cut off by Leia returning with two sabers. She places them on the ground and says, “Well, go ahead. If you are truly Force Sensitive, call the sabers to you.” 

Rey rolls her eyes and reaches out with her telekinetic grip, pulling the saber into her hand with Kayla doing the same. Leia’s raises her eyes at the apparent ease to which Rey and Kayla had used the Force. “I am impressed. You may begin your spar.”

Rey ignites the blade, sighing at the sight of a blue blade. Kayla’s ignites to reveal a green blade. 

Rey lowers herself into ready position, adjusting her hands on the grip of the saber. Rey watches Kayla’s stance with the intent to discover which form Kayla uses. Rey is impressed to see Kayla squaring her shoulders into the typical Ataru stance but holding her saber in the grip of Shii-Cho. Rey carefully begins to walk towards Kayla, saber at the ready.

When Rey comes within reach of her saber, Kayla strikes with amazing speed and agility. She swings her saber in an arc before quickly spinning in a full circle and swinging from the other side. Rey parries both strikes and launches a flurry of blows with her saber. A downwards strike, left strike, downwards again…

Leia watches with her mouth open as the two girls duel with grace and skill beyond that of her and her brother. She hears footsteps to her side and watches as Luke and Finn stand at her side, both gaping at the sight they are witnessing. Soon, Mara and Han join them.

Meanwhile, Rey begins to gain the upper hand from her perfect precision and pinpoint strikes. Kayla has sweat rolling down her cheeks as she does her best to block the flurry of blows Rey rains down on her. Finally, Rey is able to catch Kayla’s legs with a strike, knocking her to the ground. Rey then hits Kayla’s blade out of her hand and flips the tip of her blade up to Kayla’s neck, smiling. 

Kayla smiles back as Rey pulls her to her feet. “Good fight, milady,” Kayla whispers. 

Rey smiles, “You too, Kayla. You have some serious talent. Also, I think we may have overdone it. I have a feeling our audience is going to have many questions.” 

Turning to look at the group of people watching them, Rey sighs. After the conversation about not going at their full strength, Rey had gotten lost in the heat of the spar and had begun to show some of her true skill. What surprised Rey the most was the fact that even for the spar, she had barely tried. It was as though she had fought the entire battle with one hand behind her back.

She is drawn out of her thoughts by Luke, Leia, Mara, Han, and Finn walking towards them. Luke speaks first, “That was incredible! Where did you learn to fight like that? There is no way the Jedi librarian taught you that. That was the most skilled fighting I have ever seen.” 

His comment is soon joined by Finn saying happily, “We definitely stand a chance against the First Order now!” 

Then Mara speaks, causing Kayla to tense at Rey’s side. “That was some impressive fighting, you two. In all my years of war, I never saw anyone fight as gracefully as that.” 

Rey forces a smile and says, “Thank you. All of you. And as for who trained us, the answer would be that we trained ourselves. Nearly ten years with nothing to do but train lead to us becoming better fighters than most could ever hope to be.”

Luke nods, “I understand. You two are dismissed for the day now. Do whatever you like. That training exercise was something I didn’t anticipate seeing for years. You have earned your break. I am sorry to tell you that we don’t have running water in this wreckage. The only way for you to clean yourselves is down in the river.”

Kayla and Rey both thank Luke and Leia and make their way towards the exit of the room, nodding to Han, Mara, and Finn. Rey moves into the lead and walks back through the Death Star wreckage until they reach their quarters. 

Rey gestures with her right hand and opens the door. Rey and Kayla walk inside and both move to grab a change of clothes to change out of their dirty training clothes. 

Rey sighs, remembering what Luke said about how they have to clean themselves. Rey says, “I can’t believe we are going to have to bathe in a river where anyone could see us. I hate the idea of men seeing my body without my permission.” 

Kayla nods her head, “I agree, milady. I guess we could try and find a secluded spot to clean ourselves.” 

Rey sighs, nodding her head in agreement. The pair walk out of their quarters and back through the wreckage. After exiting the wreckage, Rey and Kayla hear the distinct sound of rushing water nearby. The two walk towards the sound.

As they walk, short bear-looking creatures rush up trees to where Rey can make out treehouses. 

Soon, the water comes into view and the two make their way towards the riverside. They walk along the riverside until they come to a spot surrounded by trees and brush. The two walk through the brush and carefully place their change of clothes on the ground. Rey removes her clothes quickly, causing Kayla to blush. Not seeing another option, Kayla removes her’s as well. The pale skin of the two women stands out against the blue water and green background. 

Rey carefully lowers herself into the water after using the Force to make sure that there was nothing in the water that could hurt her or Kayla. The water is slightly cold but as Rey lowers the rest of her body into the water, she feels warmer water at the bottom of the pool. “ _There must be some sort of hot spring._ ” She thinks to herself. 

Rey begins to rub off the dirt and dust coating her skin as across from her, Kayla does the same. Once she is clean, Rey leans back, resting her head on the edge of the pool and closing her eyes. 

Once Kayla finishes cleaning herself, she does the same. The two sit in silence for a few minutes before Kayla asks, “Milady, I hope this question isn’t too personal. I noticed that you seemed to have an abnormal level of hatred towards the idea of a man seeing your body, yet you are completely fine with me seeing it. Why?”

Rey opens her eyes and looks at Kayla across the pool. Rey has an internal debate as she decides whether or not to answer Kayla’s question. 

After coming to a conclusion, Rey sighs. “Kayla, what I’m about to tell you I have never told anyone. I am telling you with the confidence that you won’t tell anyone what I say.”

Kayla nods her head, “Of course, milady.”

Rey shakes her head, “Kayla, I call you by your name. It's only fair you call me by mine. It's Rey.” She says.

Across from her, Kayla smiles. “Thank you, Rey.” 

Rey adjusts herself, getting into a position where she can pull her knees to her chest. She does and her knees rest right beneath her breasts, somewhat allowing her breasts to be seen from out of the water. 

Across from her, Kayla blushes. Rey smirks at her before her expression turns serious. “Okay, so I will start from the beginning. I spent the first nineteen years of my life alone on a planet called Jakku. My parents abandoned me under the misguided hope of protecting me from my grandfather. I was forced to scavenge for parts to get myself food. I never hand a good meal or a good night’s sleep until my grandfather found me and had me brought to him.” 

Rey takes a deep breath before continuing, “As you can probably guess, a teenaged girl by herself draws the attention of rapists. I was nearly raped multiple times and after every time, I killed the man who dared lay a hand on me. That is why I have such a strong dislike of the idea of a man seeing my body. As for why I let you, I am not sure. For some reason, I feel drawn to you. I feel as though I can trust you with anything. And for that, I thank you, Kayla. You are the first friend I have ever had and the only person I have ever felt completely comfortable around.” 

After Rey finishes her story, Kayla swims across the pool and wraps one arm around Rey’s shoulders, pulling her against her body. 

Rey feels her face pressed against one of Kayla’s breasts but barely notices it as for the first time in her life, Rey begins to sob. She lets out all the tears she has been holding in for years.

Kayla whispers soft words of encouragement and support as she runs her fingers through Rey’s black hair. “Shh. It’s going to be okay, Rey. Let it out. You are the strongest being I have ever met but you are still human. All humans experience emotion and you are no exception.”

After a few minutes, Rey collects herself and sits up. She looks into Kayla’s eyes and says, “Thank you a lot, Kayla. I really needed that.”

Kayla smiles. “Of course, Rey. And you don’t need to thank me. I will be there for you for as long as you allow me to be.”

Rey smiles and slowly stands up and walks out of the pool. Water rushes down her body and cascades down her breasts. The water rushes down her legs and then rushes back into the pool. Kayla rises behind her and the two both put on their change of clothes. Rey runs her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself presentable. 

“Rey. Can you help me fix my hair? I will do yours for you too.” Kayla asks.

Rey smiles and nods. She walks over to stand behind Kayla and pulls her hair back into one bundle. Then she braids it. When she finishes, Kayla does the same for her. 

The two grab their dirty clothes and walk back to the Death Star wreckage, passing many Resistance fighters who give them curious looks. They return to their quarters. Kayla opens the door and the two walk inside. Rey places her dirty clothes in a pile on the ground and Kayla places her’s in a pile next to Rey’s.

Rey walks over to her cot and lowers her body onto the ruff material. She puts her hands behind her head and stares at the ceiling. Rey hears a rustling sound as Kayla gets comfortable in her cot. For the first time in her life, Rey goes to sleep feeling happy and unburdened, confident in her future and the decisions leading up to it.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Previous chapter:**

**————Rey Palpatine POV ————**

Rey walks over to her cot and lowers her body onto the ruff material. She puts her hands behind her head and stares at the ceiling. Rey hears a rustling sound as Kayla gets comfortable in her cot. For the first time in her life, Rey goes to sleep feeling happy and unburdened, confident in her future and the decisions leading up to it.

**Chapter 10(Discovery)**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

**(Six Days Until Invasion of Endor)**

Rey finds herself in a vision while she sleeps. 

**The ground around Rey is coated in blood and the bodies of Resistance Fighters, Stormtroopers, and Sith Troopers litter the ground. Thunder sounds overhead and rain begins to pour down on her. The water washes the blood towards the river on Endor where Kayla and Rey bathed. The sound of lightsabers crashing draws Rey’s attention and she walks towards the sound. She walks around a corner and comes to a stop at what she sees. Two young children, one male and one female, holding red lightsabers dance around each other in an incredible display of grace and skill for their age. Two figures stand off to the side that draws Rey’s attention. She walks closer and is shocked to see that one figure is Kylo and the other is her. Pride and happiness displayed on both of their faces.**

**The vision changes to a densely populated planet. Rey sees many different species of creatures, all of them floating on metal orbs in a giant chamber. At the center of them all on a raised podium stands Rey, her arms raised in victory and triumph as the audience applauds.**

**The vision changes once more and what she sees this time causes Rey to blush. Her and Kayla are lying next to each other, wearing nothing but their skin. The two have their arms wrapped around one another and are staring into each other’s eyes.**

**The vision changes again, once again on Endor. Rey watches as a First Order blockade arrives above Endor and ground forces land. She watches Kylo stride meaningfully through the dense forest, Stormtroopers close behind him. She watches as Kylo captures her and Kayla. She watches as Luke, Leia, Han, Mara, and Poe escape along with another cloaked figure. And she watches as the First Order captures Finn.**

**The vision shifts to an image of a throne room Rey has never seen before. The walls are red and red-armored guards stand at attention around the room. Sitting on a throne in the center of the room is the ugliest creature Rey has ever seen. He is missing half of his face and has no hair. Wrinkles cover his skin and he is dressed in golden robes. At his feet, Rey sees Kylo with his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber on his belt. Behind Kylo, Rey stands. She is holding her Sith saber and is wearing her black cloak. Kayla is at her side. Her cross-guard saber ignited and pointed at Snoke. Behind her, Finn stands, looking at the events of the room in shock, horror, disbelief and fear.**

**The vision shifts one last time and Rey’s eyes widen. An image of Kylo lying in her arms appears. A blue lightsaber is protruding through his chest as he gasps for breath.**

Rey wakes, gasping for breath at all she had seen. She feels shock, fear, sadness, and triumph at the events she had seen. She closes her eyes, bringing her head into her hands as she contemplates the events of her visions. The first vision fills her with confusion. The two children bared a striking resemblance to Rey’s facial features but their hair matched the color of Kylo’s. “ _Was that vision insinuating that Kylo and I have children? No, that can’t be. I would never allow a man to touch me in that kind of way.”_ She thinks.

The next scene of her vision makes Rey feel triumph. She recognized the senate chamber on Coruscant and the fact that she was at the center, mirroring a memory she has of her grandfather as he ascended to emperor, basically confirms that she will become empress. 

The next scene doesn’t surprise Rey as much as it should. Her and Kayla had a connection and it didn’t surprise Rey that their connection progressed to the point of intimacy. The two were already very close and had next to no barriers up around one another. 

The forth scene she saw she could safely assume was what will happen when Kylo attacks Endor in six days. The fact that Finn was captured causes a cold smile to appear on her face. That meant that Luke, Leia, and Mara would be the only Force Sensitives challenging Rey’s Sith Empire.

The throne room scene was interesting and leads to a question from Rey, “ _How do Kayla and I have our Sith uniforms and blades? We left them on my ship in Maul’s care. Maybe I have him bring the ship to me?_ ” 

The final scene is the most interesting and worrying for Rey. The fact that Kylo had been stabbed and was dying did not sit well with her. She knew that she had begun to care for the master of the Knights of Ren. What worried her was the fact that Kylo was stabbed. It would take a very skilled combatant to land a blow on him. What also worried her was why she let him get stabbed. “ _I don’t understand. I can kill anyone, anywhere, at any time. How could I let Kylo get stabbed?_ ” 

Once Rey finishes her pondering she reaches out with the Force to make contact with Maul, “ **Good morning, Lord Maul.”** She says.

Maul’s voice responds, “ **Lady Palpatine. It’s good to hear from you. What can I do for you?** ” The Zabrak Sith asks.

Rey smiles at the Zabrak’s willingness to aid her, “ **I have created a plan that will allow me to take control of the First Order. I had a vision last night and I now require your aid.** ” She says.

“ **Of course, milady. Anything you command.** ” He responds.

Rey smiles again, “ **Kylo Ren and the First Order are going to attack Endor in six days. I have ordered him to capture Kayla and I, along with another Force Sensitive man here. From there, he will take us directly to Snoke where I will kill him. In the vision I saw, I was wearing my black Sith robe and had my blade. Both are on my ship that I left with you. The lightsaber is my main priority as an outfit can be created using Force Shadows. Your assignment is to bring them to me on the planet Endor in five days. The ship has a cloaking device and a shield. I will guide you where to land. From there, you will remain on Endor and when Kylo invades, you will allow yourself to be captured too.** ” 

“ **I understand, milady. I will be there.** ” 

Rey closes the connection and then opens one with Kylo, “ **Kylo, when you invade Endor, I have more targets for you to capture. Darth Maul will be joining me here. Also, the Stormtrooper who deserted is apparently Force Sensitive. I want you to bring all of us to your former master. I will also need you to pick up a ship on the planets surface as it has my lightsaber and true uniform. Also, as much as it pains me to order this, the Resistance must be allowed to escape for now. They are the key to discovering everyone who would rise against me.** ” 

If Kylo is surprised to hear that Darth Maul lives, he doesn’t show it and responds with, “ **Yes, milady. Just send me the coordinates and I will pick up your ship. Also, are you sure FN-2187 is Force Sensitive?** ” 

Rey smirks, “ **Yes, FN-2187 is indeed Force Sensitive. I will kill him on board the _Supremacy_ along with Snoke.**” 

Rey goes to close the link but Kylo asks, “ **Is Kayla doing alright, milady? I miss her company.** ” 

Rey feels a flare of anger within her and she can’t stop herself from asking, “ **What is she to you, Kylo? What is your relationship with Kayla Ren?”**

Kylo’s confusion is plain to sense as he says, “ **She is like the sister I never had. I truly care for her as we grew close over our years as Knights of Ren.** ” 

Rey sighs, relief flooding through her, “ **She is fine, although seeing her blood family has proven difficult.** ” 

Kylo responds, “ **I am glad to hear it. I will do as you command milady. Maz Kanata has turned herself in and is currently in a torture chair. Should I kill her?** ” 

Rey sighs and says, “ **Unfortunately, she is a loose end. After you invade Endor and the Resistance begins to wonder how we knew their location, they will assume it was Maz. We can’t allow Maz to tell them it wasn’t her that gave up the location.** ” 

Kylo sends acceptance through the link, “ **Okay, milady. I will torture her for a few more day so that she dies near when the invasion will occur.** ” 

Rey says, “ **Okay. My ascension is nearing, Kylo.** ” 

She cuts off the link and stands from her cot. Her thoughts are drawn to the image of Kylo dying in a pool of his blood, laying in her arms. She can’t help the fear of loss that floods through her at the idea of losing Kylo forever. For the first time in her life, Rey knows what it feels like to care for a man. 

Across from her, Kayla is still asleep and Rey’s thoughts return to the vision of the two of them together. She knows deep down that she wants Kayla but she doesn’t know how Kayla feels. She would never make Kayla be with her because Rey desires it. She wants a true relationship where both sides feel the same for each other. 

A rustling sound snaps her from her thoughts as she looks at Kayla’s cot. Kayla’s eyes open and she slowly moves to stand up. The white outfit Kayla wears accentuates her form and shows a great deal of skin. Rey nearly laughs at the great difference between the clothing of Jedi and Sith. Jedi have tight fitting outfits that don’t hide anything, while Sith have loose fitting robes that the only visible skin is the hands and face. 

Kayla’s voice interrupts Rey’s thoughts, “Rey? Are you alright?”

Rey lookout Kayla’s face and sees real concern on her face. Rey smiles, “Yes, Kayla. I am perfectly fine. My concern is that your eyes are slowly losing their violet color and returning to their original form. I know the illusions on my eyes are beginning to wear out too. Let’s head down to the mess hall and get something to eat.” 

The two women dress in new outfits and walk out of the room. They pass by a Resistance Officer with purple hair who gives them a warm smile. Rey walks into the mess hall with Kayla close behind her. The mess hall goes silent when everyone sees the new Jedi apprentices enter the room. 

After a moment of silence, Mara walks forwards. “Hi there, young ones. My husband has asked me to lead you to the training area after you have breakfast.”

At Rey’s side, Kayla subtly grabs her hand as a comfort. Rey follows Mara to a table where she places a ration pack in front of each of them. “Eat these. You have a busy day ahead of you. Luke and Leia are both going to test you today while I train Finn.” 

Rey senses Kayla’s relief at that statement and Kayla releases her hand. Rey feels some disappointment at the loss of contact with Kayla. She loved having Kayla hold her hand and loved the feel of having close contact with someone.

The two girls quickly eat there ration pack and follow Mara out of the mess hall. She leads them through the Death Star wreckage and out into the woods of Endor. They walk past more of the small furry creatures as they walk through the woods.

Kayla and Rey walks shoulder to shoulder, bodies brushing with each step they take. After walking for a few minutes, Mara says, “In this clearing is where my husband and Leia plan to train the two of you. They are awaiting your arrival so you may go ahead in.”

Rey nods her thanks to the women and walks past her with Kayla at her side. They enter the clearing and see Luke and Leia sitting on metal crates off to one side of the clearing. A third figure sits at their side, a hood hiding her features. The rest of the space is covered with packed dirt and many feet marks are visible in the dirt, indicating a great deal of use.

Rey and Kayla walk up to the two Skywalker Twins and both say, “Masters.”

Luke and Leia smile at the two young girls and Leia says, “Good morning, girls. I hope you slept well. We have a lot to do today.”

Luke adds, “A visitor arrived last night who is going to aid in your training. She recieved Jedi training from our father before he went Dark. Girls, meet Ahsoka Tano.” 

The third figure pulls off her hood, revealing a Togruta with orange skin. Her montrals are stripped blue and white and she has a kind smile on her face. On her belt hang two lightsabers, both designed with short grips to be more efficient with duel-wielding. 

Rey’s eyes widen when she hears the name of the visitor. “ _The apprentice lives._ ” She thinks to herself, mirroring a memory of Darth Vader she has. 

The Togruta walks forward, smiling softly at the two young girls, “It’s nice to meet you Kira and Violet. I have heard a lot about you from Skyguy’s children. I was surprised you found them in these dark times.” 

Rey steps forward, “It is good to meet you too, Master Tano. I heard a lot about you from Jocusta Nu.” 

Ahsoka’s eyes widen and she turns to look at the two Skywalker Twins. “They know Jocusta? How? She disappeared after Anakin attacked…“ 

This time, Kayla speaks, “Yes, we know her. She raised us after saving us from Clone Troopers on Coruscant and trained us for years.” 

Ahsoka looks at them closely before asking, “And where is she now?”

Both Rey and Kayla quicky put a heartbroken look on their faces as Rey says, “She is dead. She died from old age and as she did, she sent us to Masters Luke and Leia.” 

Ahsoka closes her eyes, sadness etched across her face. Rey thinks to herself, “ _Ahsoka must have known Jocusta from her time as Vader’s apprentice._ ” 

Ahsoka opens her eyes and says, “I am sad to learn of her passing. She lived a long life and was a great librarian to the Jedi.” 

Luke speaks, “Okay, well down to business. As we do not have the time or the resources to give the two of you a proper Jedi education, we will still be able to teach you to defend yourself and those around you against the darkness of the Sith and those who would follow them.” 

Kayla and Rey nod and then Leia says, “With that in mind, we are going to have the two of you take turns fighting Ahsoka. She is a master at duel-welding combat and will thus be a challenge you have yet to face.” 

Ahsoka steps forward. “Violet, you are up first. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” She says kindly. 

Kayla flashes Rey a quick smirk as she walks after Ahsoka into the center of the clearing. The two stand ten feet apart and Kayla casually gestures with her right hand, calling her training lightsaber into her hand. Impressed looks appear on the faces of Luke and Leia at the display of power. 

Kayla ignites her green blade and moves into ready position. Across from her, Ahsoka activates one of her blades and Rey is surprised to see a unique white colored blade appear. 

Ahsoka stands confidently, allowing Kayla to make the first move. Kayla quickly sprints towards Ahsoka, using the Force to boost her speed. She is on Ahsoka and begins to rain blows on Ahsoka’s defenses. The Togruta has a surprised look on her face as she begins to dodge and parry the incoming strikes. 

Vader’s apprentice quickly ignites her other lightsaber and begins to parry Kayla’s attacks and then launch counter-attacks of her own. Rey has to admit that with Ahsoka’s white blades moving at incredible speeds and with the skill and agility she possesses, she would be a very difficult opponent to face for anyone but her. Rey knows that the only reason she would still defeat Ahsoka is because of her much stronger Force abilities. In terms of physical combat, unassisted with the Force, Rey would be hard pressed to beat Ahsoka. 

Kayla begins to sweat at the Togruta’s relentless assault and her parries slowly become less precise and her strikes less powerful. Finally, Ahsoka whips around, swinging her leg under Kayla’s, causing Kayla to fall to the dirt. 

Vader’s apprentice smiles widely as she deactivates her white blades. “That was amazing, Violet! I haven’t faced a challenge as tough as you in years!” 

Kayla smiles slightly at the complement but Rey can tell that Kayla wishes she had won. “ **Don’t worry, Kayla. I will put her in her place.** ” Rey tells Kayla mentally. 

Kayla smiles at Rey, causing Rey’s heart to beat quicker. “Alright, Kira you are up next.” 

Rey walks forward and decides to show off. She closes her eyes, calling her blade into her hand. She activates it, revealing its blue blade. 

Ahsoka activates her blades and moves toward Rey, shock playing across her face at the sight of Rey closing her eyes, “What are you doing Kira?” Ahsoka asks.

Rey just smiles and readies her blade. Ahsoka decides to teach Kira to take training seriously and rushes forward, intent on knocking Rey to the ground. Ahsoka tries the same move she used to knock Kayla to the ground but Rey just uses the Force the front flip over Ahsoka’s head, swinging her blue blade at Ahsoka as she glides over her gracefully.

The Togurta feels shock flood through her at the fact that a nineteen year old girl is showing off against her. An old instinct to never lose she learned from Anakin floods through her and she rushes the girl who’s eyes are still firmly shut. 

Ahsoka swings her blades parallel to each other in opposite directions, sure that Kira would be unable to block such an attack. Instead, Kira moves at incredible speeds and blocks one blade and slides under the second. Ahsoka feels her legs get kicked out from beneath her and she falls to the ground, her lightsabers deactivating and rolling away from her. She goes to stand but is met with a blue blade being placed under her chin. 

Rey smirks down at the fallen Togruta and slowly opens her eyes. “Well fought, Master Tano.” She says.

Ahsoka is too shocked to speak and just lays there, looking at Rey in shock and awe. Luke and Leia also have shocked looks on their faces but they couldn’t see that Rey had her eyes closed. Luke, Leia, and Kayla all walk towards Rey and Ahsoka and Luke helps Ahsoka to her feet. 

Meanwhile, Leia turns to Rey. “I’m impressed, Kira. You just beat one of the best lightsaber fighters many generations of Jedi. And it seemed as you did it with ease.” 

Before Rey can respond, a now standing Ahsoka says, “Luke, Leia, did you see what she did for the fight?” 

The twins shake their heads. Luke says, “No. What did she do?” 

Ahsoka looks at Rey, respect and awe clear in her facial expressions. “She fought that entire duel with her eyes closed. She beat _me_ effortlessly, with her eyes closed.” 

Luke and Leia both gasp in shock while Kayla smiles proudly at Rey. Rey’s happiness at her win is dwarfed by what she feels when Kayla smiles at her. 

Luke says, “I take back what we said earlier today. We do not need to train either of you anymore. You are both better fighters than we are. And Kira, I have never seen a Jedi as strong in the Force as you. Except perhaps Master Yoda. You two are dismissed. We may send you out on a mission in the coming days.”

Kayla and Rey both nod their heads to their “masters” and walk out of the clearing, heading back for the Death Star wreckage. For a few minutes, the two walk in silence before Kayla says, “That was incredible, Rey! I have never seen anything like it!” 

Rey smiles at Kayla, the compliment causing Rey to smile even wider. The two girls walk back through the woods and back to their chambers. The two grab new clothes and walk back to their bathing spot. 

Rey slowly removes her clothes with Kayla doing the same. The two girls slowly walk into the water and sit in the places they were in yesterday. Rey reaches back and undoes her hair, allowing it to flow out behind her, unrestrained. Rey begins to use her hands to clean the dirt and dust off of her skin. Across from her, Kayla lets her blonde hair down and begins to clean her body too. 

The two clean themselves in silence, the only sound is that of the water splashing against their bodies. 

When Rey finishes, she sits across from Kayla and can’t help but look at the girl across from her. “ _She is beautiful_.” Rey thinks to herself. 

A few minutes later, Kayla finishes cleaning herself and asks, “Do you want to do each other’s hair again?”

Rey smiles and nods. “I would love to.”

Kayla stands and the water rushes down her pale skin, causing her skin to glow in the light of the sun peeking through the branches surrounding them. Kayla walks over to Rey and Rey inches forward so Kayla can get behind her and to her hair. 

Kayla walks around the pool of water and rests herself against the side of the pool behind Rey. Kayla reaches forward and grabs Rey’s hair gently, pulling it back into her hands so she can braid it. Her fingers brush against Rey’s neck, eliciting a shiver from Rey. Kayla gently brushes her fingers through the silky, soft hair, removing any tangles from the black strands. 

Once Kayla finishes, she taps Rey’s shoulder to let her know she is done. Once again, Rey shivers at the contact. Kayla and Rey switch places without saying anything, their bodies brushing against one another as they move. Both girls feel a pleasant cold feeling where their skin met as Rey continues behind her. 

Rey intentionally brushes her fingers along Kayla’s spine as she moves her hands up to gently take a hold of Kayla’s hair. This time, Kayla is the one who shivers at the contact. Rey pulls Kayla’s hair back into a bundle and begins to carefully braid it, brushing her fingers against Kayla’s back on every moment. Once Kayla’s hair is carefully braided, Rey mirrors Kayla and taps her in the shoulder. 

Kayla slowly turns around, tension clear in the air as the two girls look into each other’s eyes. Kayla slowly reaches up and places her left palm on Rey’s right cheek. As if drawn together by the Force, the two slowly move closer to each other until Rey can feel Kayla’s breath on her mouth. 

Rey realizes that Kayla doesn’t feel comfortable making the first move so she puts her right hand on Kayla’s left. Cementing Kayla’s palm against her face. Rey smiles shyly at Kayla and slowly leans forward. Kayla meets her in the middle and Rey feels a soft pair of cold lips against her own. Rey sighs in happiness and smiles into the kiss as she places her left hand behind Kayla’s head, holding her lips against her own. 

The two girls begin to move their lips against each other’s in sink, their bodies beginning to touch together. Rey slides her left hand down from Kayla’s head and slowly moves it down her back. She feels Kayla’s left hand slide off her face and move down to Rey’s hip, gently caressing the skin there. 

The moment is ruined by a gasp sounding behind them and the two girls move apart. Rey’s fury appears like a thunderstorm at having their moment ruined as her eyes find the figure of the commander with purple hair eyeing the two of them. At her side, Kayla attempts to cover her body but Rey doesn’t care. She steps out of the water, her eyes blazing with fury. “What the Force are you doing here!” Rey asks, voice laced with icy fury. 

The purple-haired commander ignores the question and says in disgust, “You two are sisters! What in the Force drove the two of you to do that! Leia will hear of this!” 

The commander turns to run back towards the base but before she can, Rey reaches out with the Force, wrapping a telekinetic hand around the throat of the woman. “I don’t think so!” Rey snarls.

She goes to kill the woman but Kayla stops her, “Don’t! Luke, Leia, Mara, and Ahsoka will sense a death nearby. We can’t let them know what happened.”

Rey nods before turning back to the woman. “You are in luck. I can’t kill you. Instead, I am forced to erase your memories of this encounter.” 

The women’s eyes widen in surprise and fear as she realizes how close she came to being killed. Her hands continue to grasp at her throat as Kira continues to chock her with the Force. 

Rey gestures with her hand, causing the woman to fly towards her. She stops her in midair and aggressively slaps her hand to the woman’s forehead. She forces her way past the woman’s barriers and into her memories, causing the woman to cry out in pain and shock. Rey rips the entire memory of the encounter from her head and then uses a strong compulsion to make the woman walk back towards the base, not looking back. 

Rey turns back to Kayla, a grim look on her face. “I am sorry, Kayla. I let my guard down.”

Kayla smiles softly, “It isn’t your fault, Rey. If anything it is mine. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of yo—“ 

Rey cuts her off, “You weren’t taking advantage of me, Kayla. I wanted that more than you know. It was the first intimate contact I have experienced by choice and it was more than I ever imagined.”

Kayla smiles at Rey’s response and she moves towards Rey. The two connect their lips once more and this time, no distractions occur. Once their lips separate, Kayla leans forward, resting her head on Rey’s shoulder. Rey wraps her arm around Kayla’s form, their naked bodies tingling at the direct contact. 

After a few minutes of holding each other, Rey and Kayla both but on their clothes and begin to walk slowly towards the base. The two link their hands as they walk and gently smile at one another. 

When they reach the edge of the base, they reluctantly release each other’s hands and walk side by side. They pass by Luke, Leia, Ahsoka, and the purple-haired commander and Rey can’t help but send a glare towards who she now knows to be Admiral Holdo. 

Rey and Kayla continue walking and arrive back in their quarters as the sun begins to set on the horizon. Rey grabs the door handle and opens the door. She gestures for Kayla to go in and then follows her in. 

Kayla moves to get into her own bed but Rey grabs her hand and leads her over to her bed. Rey lies down and then pulls Kayla down next to her. Rey feels Kayla’s backside press against the juncture between her legs and shivers as she wraps her arms around Kayla, pulling their bodies closer and pressing her breasts against Kayla’s back. 

Kayla closes her eyes, a joyful smile on her face at having the arms of Darth Rhaelyx wrapped around her. She never thought Rey would feel the same way as she did and had prepared herself for rejection. 

Rey feels Kayla’s breathing slow as she drifts off to sleep and the sound of Kayla breathing begins to lull Rey to sleep. Rey’s thoughts are filled with the events of the day with one particular event putting a dampener on her advance with Kayla. The vision she had the previous night fills her head as she closes her eyes. The last thing Rey sees before she surrenders to sleep is the image of Kylo Ren with a lightsaber through his chest. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Previous chapter:**

**————Rey Palpatine POV ————**

Rey feels Kayla’s breathing slow as she drifts off to sleep and the sound of Kayla breathing begins to lull Rey to sleep. Rey’s thoughts are filled with the events of the day with one particular event putting a dampener on her advance with Kayla. The vision she had the previous night fills her head as she closes her eyes. The last thing Rey sees before she surrenders to sleep is the image of Kylo Ren with a lightsaber through his chest. 

**Chapter 11(A Mission)**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

**(Five Days Until Invasion of Endor)**

Rey blinks her eyes slowly, trying to remove the remnants of sleep from her eyes. She feels a tightening around her stomach and looks around. She smiles happily at what she sees. Kayla’s pale arms are wrapped tightly around her midsection.

Kayla begins to move behind her and Rey feels Kayla’s soft breasts press into her back through the clothes they wear. Rey slowly turns around to face the young woman pressed against her. 

Rey watches as Kayla blinks her eyes open, eyes widening at the color of Kayla’s eyes. Instead of the supposed violet color, Kayla’s eyes are rimmed in their bright blue. Rey sighs and says, “Kayla, your eyes and beginning to return to normal.” 

Kayla’s eyes fly open. “What does that mean? How will that affect your plan?” She asks.

Rey replies, “It won’t. The change to your eyes is minuscule enough that no one would be able to see it unless they get as close to you as I am now.”

Kayla nods and then says, “Rey, your eyes are beginning to return to normal too. There is a streak of red running through them.”

Rey nods, a thoughtful look on her face. “I believe Luke and Leia will send us on a mission. If need be, we can delay on the mission until the night before the attack as that is when Maul is bringing us our weapons.”

Kayla nods in understanding. The two women lay together in silence for a few more minutes before Rey sighs, saying, “We should probably get up now. Hopefully we will receive a mission.”

Kayla sighs as well but moves to stand up. Rey catches Kayla’s wrist and pulls her body back to hers. She gently places her lips on Kayla’s, saying, “I don’t know when we will next be alone.”

Kayla smiles into the kiss, wrapping her left arm around Rey’s waist. 

Rey smiles when she feels Kayla’s hand gently move across her backside and Rey has to suppress the urge to moan. The two women enjoy the feeling of each other’s bodies for a few more minutes before Rey finally breaks the kiss. 

The faces of the two women are flushed and their lips are swollen. Rey smiles at Kayla brightly and the other woman returns the smile. Both women rise slowly from the cot, Rey sighing at the loss of Kayla’s skin on her own. 

Rey walks into the bathroom, feeling annoyance at the fact that there is no running water and that she was to fix her appearance using nothing but her hands. The door to the bathroom opens and Kayla walks in. She stands next to Rey and begins to run her hands through her hair. “I can’t wait to return to living in a place that has running water.” Rey mutters causing Kayla to laugh.

“Oh, come on Empress Palpatine…don’t tell me that you have gotten used to running water after your years on Jakku.” Kayla says, laughter clear in her voice.

Rey feigns a look of hurt, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

The two women laugh together and continue to talk while they get ready for the day. Once they finish, Rey leads the way out of their quarters and into the hallway. They walk through the Death Star wreckage, passing many officers and fighters as they pass. Rey snarls as they pass Admiral Holdo and has to cover her mouth with her hand to prevent Holdo from seeing the action. 

Once again, after eating breakfast, they are lead to the clearing in the woods of Endor. When they arrive, they see FN-2187 holding a blue lightsaber and watching as Mara demonstrates the basic moves of lightsaber combat. Luke and Leia stand off to one side with Ahsoka standing on the opposite side of the clearing, along with Han Solo.

When Luke sees the two women, he gestures for them to walk over to him. When Rey and Kayla reach him he says, “After seeing the skill of which you wield a lightsaber the prowess for the Force you both possess, we have decided that it would be beneficial for us to send you on a mission. If you feel you are not ready, we will not send you. The decision is up to you.” 

Rey and Kayla share a meaningful glance before Rey says, “We accept the mission, Master Skywalker. May we know what our assignment is?” 

Luke nods. “Of course. We are sending you to the planet Nkllon; home to a mining venture by our dear friend Lando Calrissian. We are hoping he will be there as we need the two of you to bring him back here. We are going to need his help in the coming conflict.”

Leia starts talking as soon as Luke stops, “We must warn you that Nkllon is in First Order occupied space. You will probably have to face Stormtroopers in your quest. Try to dispatch of them in a way that doesn’t draw my son’s attention. Facing Kylo Ren is exactly what you do not want to do right now.”

Kayla and Rey both nod their heads in acceptance. “Will anyone be accompanying us?” Rey asks.

Leia nods her head. “Yes. Mara is going to go with you. She knows Lando and has a lot of experience infiltrating places.”

At that, Kayla tenses up and Rey has to do her best not to hug Kayla then and there. Rey foeces a smile and says. “Okay, Master Leia. When do we leave?”

Leia smiles. “Now. Mara is meeting you at the landing platform with a ship. She will debrief you on the more complex elements of the mission.”

Rey nods and subtly grabs Kayla’s hand, pulling her towards the landing platform. She squeezes Kayla’s hand in a supporting gesture. Kayla looks over at Rey, a cold and fearful look on her face. Rey smiles at Kayla and Kayla’s face slowly morphs into a smile, losing the cold edge. Rey says into her mind, “ **I know this mission is going to be difficult for you, Kayla. I will do my best to keep you grounded and help you rein in your anger. You only need to hold in your anger for another five days. Once we kill Snoke, we will finalize our plans to destroy the Resistance.** ” 

Kayla nods her head saying, “ **Are you sure we will win, milady? Now that they have Vader’s Apprentice on their side, along with my father, mother, and Leia.”**

Rey sighs, “ **Oh Kayla, you seem to have forgotten just how powerful I am. And we have you, Kylo and Darth Maul. Along with the Knights of Ren once I check over them and make sure they will remain loyal to me.** ”

Kayla smiles slightly, “ **You’re right, milady. My fear is ungrounded. The Resistance won’t stand a chance against us.** ” 

The two woman continue their walk to the landing platform in silence. Suddenly, Rey hears her grandfather’s voice in her head, “ **Granddaughter, I forgot to warn you last time. As your power in the darkness increases, so will your equal’s in the light. Darkness rises…and light to meet it. I am happy to tell you though, that your equal in the Force is on your side already. From birth, you were destined to destroy the Sith but a small change in the timeline altered this.** ”

Rey frowns, “ **Who is my equal in the Force? I have never sensed anyone that has anywhere near as much power as me.** ” Rey asks.

“ **This is a unique situation. Due to your off-the-charts level of power, your equal in the Force is not actually your equal in power. Nowhere near it, in fact. He is very powerful but I am now certain that you have surpassed every Force user who has ever lived. You stand alone, granddaughter. And I am very proud to call you of my blood.** ” The Former Emperor of the Galaxy says.

Rey smiles. “ **Thank you, grandfather. Having the memories of all of the Sith to ever live has given me more knowledge than I ever thought possible. The amount of Sith abilities which I am now capable of without training is unmatchable.** ” 

“ **Which abilities are you talking about, granddaughter?** ” Her grandfather asks curiously.

Rey smirks, “ **I am not going to divulge all of them but some of them include Force Storm, Protection Bubble, Force Projection, Thought Bomb, and last but not least…** ” Rey pauses, allowing her grandfather to absorb the ones she already mentioned. “ **Midi-Chlorian Manipulation…** ” 

Her grandfather gasps in awe. “ **You can manipulate Midi-Chlorians? You are the second Sith to ever be capable of that. The only other Sith I know who could do that was my master, Darth Plagueis. And the other abilities are also incredibly powerful. Especially Thought Bomb. I know of only one other instance of Thought Bomb and it took multiple Sith working together under the command of Darth Bane to use it. The fact that you can use it by yourself is impressive. And you can use Force Storm? That’s amazing. That ability has long since been abandoned as it’s so difficult to control once used. I am more proud of you than I can ever say, Rey. You have truly earned the title of Darth. More than any Sith before you has.** ”

“ **Thank you, grandfather. It is only from your aid that I have risen to this power level. Without you, I would still be a girl from Jakku. It is even highly likely that I would have been manipulated into being a true _Jedi_.**” Rey checks her surroundings and notices that she and Kayla are nearing the landing platform. “ **I am sorry to cut this conversation short, grandfather. I am leaving on my first mission as a _Jedi_.**” Rey says the word Jedi with utter distain and disgust both times she says the word. 

Her grandfather replies with a cold laugh. “ **Well isn’t that something. You have outdone me, granddaughter. I infiltrated the Republic but I certainly didn’t infiltrate the Jedi Order. The fact that the Skywalker twins haven’t discovered you yet speaks volumes to your talent.** ” A pause ensues. “ **Well, good luck on your mission, granddaughter.** ” 

“ **Thank you, grandfather.** ” 

Rey feels the Former Emperor leave her mind and she turns to see Kayla looking worriedly at her. Rey smiles. “Sorry about that. I was having a conversation with my grandfather.”

Kayla looks at her in surprise. “You mean…”

Rey nods. “Yes. I mean… _him_.” 

Silence one more falls over the two as Rey and Kayla near a small Resistance transport with a women with blazing red hair standing before it with three lightsabers strapped to her utility belt.

“Kira, Violet, I’m glad you accepted this mission. Come. Let’s get on board the ship. I will brief you from there.” Mara says, gesturing for Rey and Kayla to follow her. 

The two follow Mara into a small transport. Rey has to do her best not to sneer at the quality of the ship. It is rusty and the inside of the ship is cluttered with random junk. 

Rey and Kayla follow Mara into the center of the ship where a Holo-table sits. Mara presses a button, bringing up an image of a planet. “This is Nkllon. It is the home of a mining operation run by Land Calrissian. Our goal is simple; infiltrate through the First Order checkpoints set up on the planet and retrieve Lando. My husband is sure Lando will agree to come back with us as he is currently trapped on the planet.”

Mara reaches to her belt and hands both Rey and Kayla their sabers. “These are only to be used in absolute emergencies. They will draw the full attention of the First Order so we want to afford using them the best we can.”

Rey and Kayla nod as Mara walks into the bridge. “Feel free to sit in the cargo hold. After I get the ship on course and in Hyperspace, I will join you.” 

Rey and Kayla move into the cargo hold and sit down on one of the metal containers. Rey wraps her arm around Kayla, pulling her against her side. “I know this must be difficult for you, Kayla. Seeing that woman has to be pushing your restraint to the breaking point.” Rey says softly. 

Kayla nods, “Yes, seeing her is very difficult and the only reason I haven’t already lost control is because of you, Rey. Thank you for your support. I don’t know what I would do without it.” 

Rey and Kayla feel the ship lift off the ground and into the void of space. A few seconds later, they feel the distinct rumble to the ship’s engines powering up for a light speed jump. A sudden jerking feeling indicates the successful jump. 

The two women prepare to move apart as they know Mara is coming and as they do, Rey says softly, “I will always be there for you, Kayla. Always.”

After breaking the hug, Rey walks over to an isolated corner of the ship and closes her eyes, focusing.

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

As Kylo Ren paces the halls of the _Supremacy_ , his thoughts are filled with images of Kayla and Rey. His mind travels back to the conversation he had with the Empress. “ _Why was she so emphatic to know what my relationship with Kayla was? Why would she care?_ ” 

He is drawn from his thoughts by his least favorite general saying, “Ren, you are needed on the bridge.” 

Kylo sighs. He walks through the hallways until he reaches the sliding metal doors before the bridge. He gestures with his right hand, not bothering to use the Biometric scanner to open the door, and walks in. 

“Ah, Ren, we have discovered a powerful signal originating from the Unknown Regions. We have asked the Supreme Leader for guidance and he orders us to track the signal.”

Kylo’s eyes widen behind his mask. “I see. We’re you successful in tracking it?” He asks.

Hux shakes his head. “No, Ren. The signal disappeared before we could get a lock on it. We were also unable to triangulate the estimated location of the signal because of its location in the Unknown Regions.”

Ren nods his head. “Was that all, General Hux? If so, why did you call me here? I have better things to do than waste my time on the likes of you.” 

Hux’s face reddens in anger. “The likes of me? Are you forgetting who you are talking to, Ren? I am—“ 

Whatever Hux was going to say is cut off by Kylo using the Force to lightly squeeze the General’s neck. “No, General. I believe it is you who is forgetting who you are talking to.” Kylo sneers, contempt oozing through his voice. 

Hux does his best to glare hatefully at Ren and because of this, Kylo tightens his hold on the General’s neck. “Watch yourself, Hux. You are pushing your luck with the way you talk and act towards me.” Kylo warns. 

The other officers that had remained silent throughout the entire exchange collectively draw in a deep breath as they watch Ren choke the red-headed general. All of them just glad that it isn’t them on the receiving end.

Kylo turns and brusquely walks out of the bridge, his cloak billowing out behind him. 

Kylo Ren walks through the halls and back to his quarters. He walks in and reaches up, deactivating the catch holding his mask in place. He removes it and places it on its holder in the corner of his room. He walks over to a black alter holding the mask of Darth Vader. “I seek no reassurance this time, grandfather. I am fully set in the Dark Side. I no longer feel any pull to the light. I know my mother could have trained me but she chose to send me away instead. She cemented my path in the darkness.” 

After Kylo says this, he goes to move away from the mask but a voice stops him. “Oh, Ben. You were supposed to follow in my footsteps and bring balance to the Force. This path of darkness that now sits before you is unforeseen and is tipping the galactic scales into darkness.”

Kylo sits up quickly, “Who are you? What do you want?” Kylo asks the voice. 

Suddenly, a figure wearing brown Jedi robes with a white undershirt appears, a hood shrouding his features. He reaches up and slowly removes his hood, revealing curly brown hair hanging down on either side of his head. Kylo’s eyes widen in shock as he catches the resemblance between the mysterious figure and his mother and uncle. 

The figure smiles sadly at Kylo. “Yes. I…am Anakin Skywalker.” 

Kylo shakes his head. “No…no, this isn’t possible! Why…after all these years of me begging you for guidance do you show up now? No! I do not want this!”

Kylo grabs his head, suffering and anger clear on his face. “Ben…” Anakin says.

“No! Ben Solo…is dead! He was weak and foolish, like is parents. So I destroyed him.” 

Anakin shakes his head. “That is what Snoke wants you to believe. He is using you for your power. Once he gets what he wants, he’ll crush you.” 

Kylo scoffs. “Do you truly think that I care what Snoke thinks? At this point, I am the one using Snoke. I do not fear the dark side and I will not be seduced by the light. I will not abandon my only friends to return to the light. I won’t! I can’t!”

Kylo covers his face with his hands. Anakin smiles sadly, “I am sorry, my dear grandson. I assume, by friends, you mean your Knights? Specifically, my son’s daughter?” 

Kylo does not respond. Instead he elects for clenching his fists in anger. “If my mother truly loved me, why did she send me to be trained by my foolish uncle? She had to have known she could have done a better job keeping the darkness at bay.”

Anakin sighs, moving to place himself next to his grandson. “I believe she made an honest mistake when she sent you away. One she has paid the price for. She lost her son and niece to the very darkness that caused her to grow up without a father.”

Kylo suddenly is filled with rage. “I do not care if she made a mistake! The Dark Side is my path now. I have no desire to change it. I will be on the side of my ruler as she conquers the galaxy. I will not break my loyalty to her.” Kylo stands, drawing his lightsaber from his belt. “Leave, grandfather. Don’t make me kill you.”

Anakin’s eyes widen at the sudden change in demeanor. “Wait…she? Who are you—?“

Anakin’s question is cut off as his eyes widen in realization. “Palpatine’s granddaughter? You’ve aligned yourself with the man who ripped our family apart! What were you thinking?”

Kylo ignites his saber and places it against the neck of his grandfather. “Because she is the only one in my life who has been truly honest with me. She has truthfully told me what she seeks and what she sees my place in her new empire as.”

“Her new empire? You are letting another Palpatine rise to a position of power that will cement the darkness over the light.” As an afterthought, Anakin mutters, “I need to warn my children. This is far worse than I ever imagined.” 

Kylo’s eyes widen and acting on instinct, he ignites the crackling red blade of his lightsaber and plunges his blade through the turned back of Anakin Skywalker.

The eyes of Anakin widen in shock and horror at the saber protruding through his chest. Kylo deactivates his saber, eyes red and filled with unrepentant hate. The formerly dark brown eyes now glow a horrible yellow color and an aura of darkness exudes off the cloaked body of Kylo Ren.

Anakin turns around slowly, a grim smile on his lips. “You have done well…” The voice of Anakin says.

Kylo continues to look at the ground in shock but his eyes are drawn up at a sudden change in the voice, “Kylo Ren.” The voice of the Sith Empress says. 

Kylo looks up and sees that his grandfather has been replaced by the Sith Empress and she wears a smile, her red eyes glowing triumphantly. Kylo is able to stutter out, “Milady? But…I thought…”

Rey smiles. “I know, Kylo. I am sorry I gave you such an emotional test but I had to be absolutely certain that I could trust you. Especially as I am handing you the First Order in five days. I am very impressed with your performance. Your journey towards the Dark Side is now complete.”

Kylo slowly brings himself to his feet, eyes looking at Rey’s with a cold look in his eyes. “I understand, milady. I understand…”

Rey walks forward and gently places her hand on Kylo’s forearm and once more, a spark travels through the bodies of both of them. Rey removes her hand, looking at it curiously before saying, “Again, I am very sorry for that test. I did not truly understand how emotionally tiring it would be for you.” 

Kylo nods his head. “I completely understand, milady.”

Rey nods to him. “My ascension is nearing, Kylo. I now know for certain that I can trust you. I want you at my side when I rise. I am offering this to you now; allow me to train you further. I will fill in the gaps left by the clone and then make you the forth most powerful being in the galaxy behind only me, Kayla, and my grandfather.”

Kylo’s eyes widen when he hears Kayla’s name. “Kayla…Why her?”

Rey’s sighs, realizing that she gave herself away. “I care for Kayla greatly. More than I have cared for anyone in my life. After my rise to power, she will be the first one I train. Once her training is complete, I will train you.” Rey turns, looking to an empty space past Kylo. “I must go for now. I will see you in five days, Kylo Ren.”

The body of the Sith Empress fades away, leaving behind a revitalized Kylo Ren. He stands up, grabbing his mask and placing it back on. He clips his lightsaber back onto his belt and walks out of the room.

The second he opens the door to his chambers, Ren sees Hux waiting for him. “The Supreme Leader has requested to see you, Ren. He awaits your presence in the throne room.”

Ren brushes past Hux, not paying him any attention. “ _He must have sensed my full acknowledgment of the Dark Side and will wish to know what caused it._ ” 

As he walks towards the throne room, his thoughts are consumed by the conversation he had with his grandfather. Or more accurately, his Empress. “ _I wonder if she mirrored how my actual grandfather would have acted or if that was truly just the illusion it was revealed to be._ ”

His thoughts are interrupted as he notices he has arrived at the doors to the throne room. The doors open, revealing Snoke on the throne in his usual outfit with the Praetorian Guards standing at attention around the throne room. He walks into the red-walled room and stands before his master. “You summoned me, my master?” He asks.

Snoke nods. “I did indeed, my young apprentice. You see, a few minutes ago I was meditating in the Force when I felt a wave of darkness overpower my meditation. I reached out and was impressed to find that _you_ were the source of this dark power. Now why, out of nowhere, have you decided to devote yourself to the darkness fully? Why now? What caused this change of heart?”

Kylo sighs and begins to answer. He is cut off by his master ordering, “Remove your helmet before you answer.”

Kylo reaches up and removes the helmet, placing it at his side. “To answer your question, master, I had an encounter with the Force Ghost of my grandfather. He said some things in an attempt to return me to the light but by the grace of your training, I was not seduced.”

Snoke looks surprised, “Ah. The mighty…Kylo Ren. So you met Darth Vader’s redeemed self. I am sure he said some things along the lines of you are walking the wrong path?”

Kylo nods. “Yes. He was very adamant that I was not on the path destined for me.”

Snoke looks thoughtful, “And what happened…to the Force Ghost of Anakin Skywalker?”

Kylo looks down, “I stabbed him in the back with my saber. The blade killed him.”

Snoke looks down on his apprentice and Kylo nearly gags at the look on his face. “Well done. Your journey to the Dark Side is now complete. You are dismissed.”

Kylo places his mask back on, sneering at his master in disgust and contempt as he exits the throne room, cloak billowing behind him.

**————Leia Organa-Solo-Skywalker POV————**

Leia stands on the edge of the training clearing, watching Ahsoka and Luke train Finn. She sighs. The former Stormtrooper is proving a difficulty to teach, even though he had proven he did indeed have the Force. If the Republic still existed, he would most likely have not been considered strong enough with the Force to be a Jedi, but considering their limited options and desperate situation, they have no choice but to do the best they can with what they have. 

As she watches, Ahsoka and Luke duel in slow motion, showing Finn the simple forms of lightsaber combat. Suddenly, Ahsoka freezes, falling to the ground with a hand clutching her chest. Leia rushes towards her but before she can reach her, she senses what caused Ahsoka to freeze. A wave of dark power washes over her. 

Leia falls to the ground, grabbing her heart as she does so. She knows who the wave of power came from. She would recognize that Force Signature anywhere. Tears begin to well in her eyes as she realizes what it means. “No…Ben…”

Leia feels a strong arm wrap around her shoulders and looks up to see Han comforting her. Finn is doing his best to comfort Luke and Ahsoka as his power level is to low for him to sense what they felt. “What is it, Leia? What has happened?” 

Leia slowly rises to her feet, tears rolling down her face. “Our son…he’s gone…” Leia says through her sobs. 

Han’s eyes widen. “You mean he died? Who killed him?” 

Leia shakes her head, her heart pounding as she struggles to say the truth. “No one killed him, Han. He killed him. Kylo Ren has defeated Ben Solo and our son is no more.”

Han’s eyes widen and Leia can sense that Han is doing his best to conceal his sadness. 

Luke and Ahsoka walk over to them, Finn trailing after. 

Luke looks at Leia and Han sadly, “I’m so sorry, Leia. I thought there was still a chance to get your son back.” Ahsoka nods her head at Luke’s words. 

Finn, meanwhile, just looks confused. “I am so sorry to interrupt, masters, but what has happened?” 

Leia sadly says, “I am sure you remember that I told you Kylo Ren is my son?” 

Finn nods his head.

Leia continues, “Well, ever since he left to become Kylo, there has always been a sliver of light left in him. A spark in the darkness…” Leia trails off sadly. 

Ahsoka speaks next. “To put it in simpler terms, Finn, Leia’s son is dead.”

Finn’s eyes widen. “Oh. I am so sorry master. May I ask if you know who killed him?” 

Leia feels slight shock and disappointment at how utterly clueless Finn is. This time, Luke speaks, “Kylo Ren isn’t dead, Finn. Ben Solo is.”

Confusion is still plain on Finn’s face so Luke sighs, muttering to himself, “Oh Force…”

Leia decides to speak once more, “Finn, basically, Kylo Ren and Ben Solo are two different personas who share the same body. Kylo Ren was the darkness with Ben Solo as the light. The two have been battling for control for years and just now, Kylo Ren won. There is no light left in Kylo Ren. He is now officially lost to the darkness.”

Understanding dawns on Finn’s face as he understands the gravity of the occurrence. “Oh…” He says simply.

Han scoffs coldly, “We will avenge our son’s death. Kylo Ren will die for the murder of my son.”

Luke, Leia, Ahsoka, and Finn all look at Han in shock. Luke says, “Revenge is not the Jedi way.”

Han smirks coldly, “I’m no Jedi.” He says.

Ahsoka looks as though she was smacked as memories of her battle with Vader on Malachor shoot through her head. 

**————Unknown POV————**

Rain pours down onto the ground, turning the dirt and clay into the mud. The sun that is normally visible in the sky is entirely hidden behind a swarm of black clouds. Lightning strikes the ground at random, illuminating a figure dressed from head to toe in brown robes. The figure reaches out with its right hand, revealing a cybernetic hand, as an object flies into his hand. Another flash of lightning illuminates the hilt of a lightsaber. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Previous chapter:**

**————Unknown POV————**

Rain pours down onto the ground, turning the dirt and clay into mud. The sun that is normally visible in the sky is entirely hidden behind a swarm of black clouds. Lightning strikes the ground at random, illuminating a figure dressed from head to toe in brown robes. The figure reaches out with its right hand, revealing a cybernetic hand, as an object flies into his hand. Another flash of lightning illuminates the hilt of a lightsaber. 

**Chapter 12(Retrieving Lando)**

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

**(Three Days Until Invasion of Endor)**

Kylo strides purposefully through the hallways of his personal Star Destroyer, heading for the interrogation cells. 

When he reaches them, he walks into the chamber containing Maz Kanata. The old creature is strapped to a metal chair, eyes closed in meditation. As Kylo enters, she opens her eyes, looking at Kylo in disappointment. “Ben, what are you going to do to me, child?”  
Kylo walks forward until he stands right in front of her. “Do not call me that. Ben Solo is dead.”

Maz shakes her head, “No. Kylo Ren and Ben Solo have been fighting a battle inside your head for your entire life. Ben Solo is not extinguished.”

Kylo smirks behind his mask. “You are partially correct. Until yesterday, I was indeed locked in an internal conflict. But yesterday, Ben Solo was fully extinguished.”

Maz shakes her head but she now has an uncertain look on her face. “No, Ben Solo would never lose to the likes of Kylo Ren. What event could cause you to fully embrace the darkness?”

Kylo smirks. “I had a conversation with my grandfather.”

Maz’s eyes widen. “That isn’t possible. The Force Ghost of Anakin Skywalker hasn’t been seen since the night of his death.”

Kylo nods his head. “You are correct. That’s the thing, I am about to tell you something that is supposed to be kept a secret. I can tell you because I am killing you before I leave this room.” 

Maz’s eyes widen. “Dear child, if you kill me—”

Kylo cuts her off, “Spare me the sentimental crap. You are a threat to my ruler and thus, you must be eliminated.”

Maz looks confused, “I am a threat to Snoke?”

Kylo shakes his head, glancing around the room and deactivating the camera in the room. “No. Snoke is no longer my master.”

Maz’s eyes widen, “Snoke isn’t your…” She trails off, coming to a horrible realization. “Palpatine…” She turns to glare at Kylo. “You are following the same man who destroyed your family. He ruined your grandfather’s life!”

Kylo shakes his head. “No. I am not following Sheev Palpatine, rather I live to serve his granddaughter; as do my Knights and soon, the entire First Order. I am going to kill Snoke with the help of my Empress and then, I will control the First Order and I will do her bidding.”

Maz looks at Kylo in horror. “You are willing to serve a girl who is younger than you? Why?”

Kylo looks at her before saying, “You have not been in her presence so you do not know the full extent of the power she possesses. She is now the most powerful Force User to ever live.”

Maz shakes her head, “No, that isn’t possible. There is no way she is that powerful already. She would need decades of training to possess that level of power.”

Kylo shakes his head, a modulated chuckle sounding throughout the room, “Not quite. She possesses the memories of every Sith to ever live as she is now the undisputed Sith Empress. The Dark Throne of the Sith accepted her and allowed her to ascend to Empress.”

Maz’s eyes widen in horror. “She is the Sith Empress?”

Kylo nods his head, reaching his right hand down and drawing his cross-guard saber. He walks forward, kneeling before the ancient woman. “Oh, by the way, you have met her.” He says, placing the emitter of his lightsaber against her chest right against her heart. 

Maz looks at him in disbelief, “I’ve met her? Who? How?”

Kylo leans in, whispering in her ear. “You talked to her a few days ago over a Hologram. She was in the presence of the Skywalker twins.”

Maz’s eyes fill with fear, “Kira and Violet aren’t Jedi…” She says. 

Kylo nods his head, “Correct. Goodbye, Maz Kanata. You have lived a long life, now rest.”

She nods her head, “If what you say is true and Kira or Violet is the Sith Empress, than the darkness has already won.”

The woman closes her eyes and Kylo ignites his saber, the crimson blade impaling through her heart and into the Interrogation Chair behind it. Kylo watches as the light fades from Maz’s eyes, being replaced by an ever-encompassing wave of darkness. Kylo deactivates his saber and walks out of the room. He passes by a Stormtrooper and orders, “Dispose of the body, trooper.”

The trooper nods his head, “Yes sir, Lord Ren.”

Kylo walks through the hallways of his Destroyer until he reaches his quarters. He enters them and takes off his mask, placing it on a hanger near the door. He walks deeper into his room, removing his cloak as he reaches his bedroom. He grabs a new outfit to change into and makes his way into his bathroom. He slowly removes the rest of his sweat-ridden clothes, placing the new ones on a table near the refresher. The he steps into the refresher with the scalding water turning his skin a flaming red color. He allows the water to remove the few drops of blood that splattered off of Maz and onto him when he killed her, all of it around his eyes and his wrists where he is not protected by his armor and helmet. Then he directs the water at his curly black hair, cleaning it of the sweat and dust that collects inside his suit. Once he is clean, he steps out of the refresher and grabs a towel to dry his body with. He looks in the mirror as he dries himself, his upper-body glistening with water, the water accentuating his muscular chest and biceps. He quickly dries his hair and grabs his brush from the table beside his sink. He runs the brush through his thick curls, easing out the nots formed from his hair being restrained all day. He pulls on his black underclothes and then his pants. 

Once he is done, he walks back into his bedroom, buttoning up the black shirt as he moves. He makes his way to the raised cushion he uses for meditation and lowers himself onto it, getting himself comfortable. He closes his eyes and focuses on the Empress. “ _Milady.”_ He says, hoping she will hear him. 

He quickly gets a response, “ **Yes, Kylo** _?_ ”

“ **I have done as you bid me. Maz Kanata is no more.** ”

Kylo senses the triumph coming from his Empress as she says, “ **Well done, Kylo. Once again, you are continuing to porve your loyalty to me and my goals. I look forward to once we kill Snoke when we will be able to confer more regularly.** ”

Kylo uncharacteristically smiles, “ **As do I, milady.** ” He says.

“ **I am sorry to cut this conversation short, Kylo, but my mission for the Resistance needs my full attention. Do not hesitate to reach out to me for questions you have about what is to come.** ”

Kylo nods, “ **I understand and thank you.** ”

The Empress ends the connection, leaving Kylo feeling alone for the first time in years. Subconsciously, he admits that he enjoys being in the presence of the Empress, more than he wished he did. He knows that war is not a time for attachments, even though the Sith encouraged them.

Deciding to try something else with his newfound connection to the Force, Kylo imagines Kayla and wishes to see what she has been doing the past few days. Shortly after, images begin to appear in his mind of his surrogate sister’s actions over the past few days. First, an image of her meeting a cloaked figure on a planet with a black surface and obilisks glowing red in view. Next, an image of Kayla and the Empress exiting their ship at the Resistance base. Then an image of Kayla and the Empress meeting Kylo’s mother, father, aunt, and uncle appears. Followed by an image of the Sith Empress and Kayla training in lightsaber combat with Luke and Leia. Next, an image of Kayla and the Empress fighting a Togruta with orange skin and blue and white head-tails. He sees his Empress beat the Togruta with her eyes closed and it is only then that Kylo realizes the identity of the Togruta. “ _Vader’s Jedi Apprentice._ ”

The last image he sees causes him to quickly stop looking as his face turns a light shade of red in embarrsment. He tries to remove the image from his head but he is unsuccessful. 

He stands up and walks over to his bed and tries to go to sleep. He never even comes close as his thoughts are haunted by the image of his surrogate sister and his Empress fully naked and embracing, with their lips locked together. Kylo draws his thoughts away from Kayla’s body as he has no desire to see her naked. On the other hand, no matter how much he tries, he can’t get the image of his Empress’ naked form out of his head. Her lithe, athletic body and perfect curves draw Kylo’s attention. His brief view of the Empress’ chest and lower lips show that they far outmatch any he had ever seen. In his mind, she was the embodiment of perfection in human form. 

Kylo sighs and gets out of bed. He just used the refresher but he quickly walks into the bathroom and removes his shirt. He pulls off his pants, freeing his member from its confinement. It stands at attention, the image of the Sith Empress having majorly turned him on. Kylo steps into the shower, turning the water to a freezing cold in an attempt to calm down his arrousal. In the end, Kylo is able to relieve himself of his ‘problem’ and makes his way back to bed with a new pair of pants and the same shirt on. 

He closes his eyes but the second he does, the image of his Empress appears once more. Kylo rolls over, putting his hands behind his head as he sighs, knowing he is in trouble. 

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

After closing the link with Kylo, Rey hears Mara telling Kayla that they are nearing Nkllon. She stands up from the corner of the ship she sat in and walks over to sit next to Kayla. Kayla smiles at her as Rey gently grabs her hand in a gesture of affection that is easily passed off as a sisterly gesture. 

The two fell the ship around them enter the atmospher of Nkllon and soon after feel the ship touch down on the ground. Mara returns to the cargo hold, a blaster pistol in her left hand and a lightsaber strapped to her belt. “Remember, only use the lightsabers as a last resort. The last thing we want is to have the two of you be captured by Kylo Ren.”

Rey and Kayla nod and follow Mara out of the ship. The air of Nkllon smells of sulfur and the sky is filled with ash and smoke. Lava flows are easily visible in all directions with shield-protected walkways over the lava flows. 

Mara leads them across a walkway near the end of their landing platform with a massive silver factory clear in the distance. “That is where Lando’s signal originated.” Mara announces, gesturing at the factory. 

Rey and Kayla nod, following Mara towards the massive building. Half of the way across the walkway, a ray-shield activates around them, trapping them in place. A minute later, a patrol of six First Order Stormtroopers walks up to them. “Lay down your weapons. You are now in First Order occupied space and as such, you must abide by its laws.” The batillion leader of the Stormtroopers orders. 

Mara slowly places her blaster on the ground, soon followed by her lightsaber. Rey and Kayla soon follow her example, leaving them unarmed. The ray-shield around them deactivates and the Stormtroopers walk forward with metal cuffs. All three women are placed in the metal cuffs and lead across the walkway. Behind them, a Stormtrooper bends down to pick up the weapons they placed on the ground. Rey sighs, knowing their cover is about to be blown. “Sir?” The Stormtrooper calls out. 

The batillion leader turns around and says, “Yes, trooper?” 

The Stormtrooper holds out the three lightsabers, “Are these what I think they are?” He asks.

The batillion leader’s eyes widen in disbelief as he recognizes the cylindrical objects the trooper holds. He turns to another trooper, ordering, “Alert Lord Ren! The Jedi are here!”

He spins to face them but it is too late. Rey springs into action. 

Rey calls two blades into her hand, calling out to Kayla and Mara, “Drop!” 

The other two woman drop to the ground as Rey swings the two ingited blades in an arc around her, killing four of the troopers. Rey spins gracefully and throws the ignited purple blade of Mara’s lightsaber through the chest of one trooper before turning to face the batillion leader. She gestures with the thumb and forefinger of her right hand and tightens her telekinetic grip around the trooper’s neck. She turns to walk towards the building and as she walks away, she gestures to her right with her hand, breaking the troopers neck and flinging him off of the walkway and into the lava.

She calls her blue blade into her hand and continues walking, ignoring the shocked look Mara is giving her. 

Footsteps behind Rey signal that her companions have caught up to her. Mara graps her arm, a look of disbelief on her face. “What in the Force was that? Jedi do not kill unless it is absolutely necessary! You just brutally murdered six troopers who were conscripted as kids and have no choice but to serve the The First Order.”

Rey shrugs, sighing as she thinks, “ _Perhaps I overdid it a little. Mara will probably pester me until I answer why I killed them._ ” 

Outloud, Rey says, “They were in the way of our goal. The death of six Stormtroopers hardly makes up for the number of people they have killed.” Rey allows a heartbroken look to appear on her face as she stutters out, “Th-they have taken nearly everyone I care about for me. I-I know that re-revenge is not the Je-Jedi way but they deserve to die. All of them! The way the ones I loved died!” Rey begins to shake softly and watches as Mara’s face softens. 

Kayla brings Rey into a hug while Mara kneels before her. “I understand what you are going through Kira, but that still doesn’t make killing right.” 

Rey scoffs, “Ha. The former hand to Emperor Palpatine lecturing me about killing. As if I would take anything you teach me seriously. You reek of the Dark Side and it is a simple issue of intelligence to allow me to know that you have most likely killed hundreds on the Emperor’s orders.”

Mara’s face turns cold. “Do not talk about what you do not understand, child.” 

Kayla, at Rey’s side, has had enough of her mother lecturing her lover and she sends a minor Force push at Mara. “Step back, Mara. You will not touch her.” 

Mara goes to respond but is interrupted by a blaster bolt whizzing past them. They look around them and see that Stormtroopers have taken posts up on both sides of the walkway, stranding them over lava. 

A ray-shield activaes around them once more and ten Stormtroopers quickly surround them. “Drop your weapons, Jedi scum.” One orders. Mara does but Kayla and Rey do not. Instead the two move until they stand back to back, their backs pressed against one another. “Are you deaf, Jedi? Drop your weapons or we will open fire!”

Rey just smirks, saying mentally to Kayla, “ **You deal with the ones on your side. I will deal with the ones facing me.** ” 

Kayla responds, “ **Of course, Rey.** ”

Mara sees what the two plan to do and her eyes widen, “No, wait!” She yells but to is too late. 

Rey and Kayla both attach their sabers to their belts and then they kneel on one knee. They both clench their fists, building up a shockwave of power. Then, Rey and Kayla punch the metal walkway, releasing the shockwave. All of the Stormtroopers are blown off of their feet, with some going in the lava. The ones who don’t end up in the lava collapse to their knees, gasping in pain. The impact from the shockwave shattered all the bones in any trooper within twenty feet of Rey and Kayla. The ones who were lucky enough to avoid the shockwave place their blasters on the ground, surrendering. 

Mara on the other hand looks frightened and amazed. “I’ve seen this raw strength only once before, in my master Sheev Palpatine. It didn’t scare me enough then…It does now.” She looks at the two girls before her, and the amount of power eminating off of them shocks her to her core. But what shocks her even more is the color of Kira and Violet’s eyes. Kira’s eyes are now rimmed in a thin ring of red while Kayla’s are rimmed in a striking, piercing blue color. 

Mara’s eyes widen and she says quietly, “Kira?” But she isn’t looking at Rey. She is looking at Kayla.

**————Kayla Ren POV————**

“Kira?” Mara says and Kayla’s heart stops for a second. Her mother just recognized her. 

Kayla turns to Rey, asking for guidance. The Sith Empress sighs and then says, “Fuck. Well, I hadn’t planned for this but I will have to make it work.”

Mara recognizes the eyes of her daughter and rushes towards her, set on embracing her but Rey steps in between them. Mara, for the first time, pays attention to Rey and her eyes widen in shock, disbelief, and fear. “Y-yo-you! You are Palpatine’s granddaughter? How?” She turns to face her daughter once more. “Come, Kira. Let us leave this place. We will allow the First Order to capture her.” She says, gesturing at Rey.

Kayla shakes her head. “Never. I will never leave Rey’s side.” 

Mara’s eyes widen in horror. “You knew who she was? And you still chose to side with her? After all her family had done to me?” 

Kayla sneers at her mother, “I would chose Rey every time. I would rather die than betray her.”

Mara sinks to her knees, the realization that her daughter is lost to her for ever causing a wave of pain to flood through her. For the first time in years, she allows her anger to rule her actions and lashes out. A wave of Force energy slams into Rey, sending her flying into the ray-shield. “No!” Kayla yells and sends a burst of lightning at her mother. 

Kayla rushes to her lover’s fallen form and presses her ear to Rey’s chest in search of a a heartbeat. “No! Rey! I can’t lose you! I can’t! I won’t!” Kayla figures out what she needs to do and presses her lips to Rey’s in an attempt to get Rey breathing again. Mara gasps in horror at the action but the pain from the lightning her daughter hit her with prevents her from acting. Kayla pushes her hands down on Rey’s chest rhythmically. 

Kayla begins to sob, moving her mouth off of Rey’s for a moment to catch her breath. She quickly moves her lips back to Rey’s and continues her efforts. She sobs while she tries to save her until she cries with joy as Rey’s lips begin to move against her’s. 

Kayla moves her lips back, a strand of saliva still connecting her mouth with Rey’s. Rey sits up slowly, “What…happened?” She asks, dazed.

Kayla snarls, “My fucking mother Force pushed you against the wall. You didn’t have time to react to the attack and were knocked out by the blow. I feared you were dead.”

Rey smirks, “It will take far more than that to kill me. Also, I get you wanted to kiss me, but couldn’t you have done it while I was conscious?” 

Kayla smiles at her, helping Rey to her feet before putting her hand behind Rey’s head. She gently places her lips on Rey’s as Rey moans in contentment. Kayla feels something poking at her mouth, asking for entrance and she lets it in. Rey’s tongue ravishes her mouth, causing Kayla to moan. Kayla answers back with her own tongue, forcing her way passed Rey’s tongue and into her mouth. 

The two are drawn from their moment by a sob from the ground a few feet from them. The two break apart and Rey smirks at Mara, pulling Kayla to her side. Mara glares at her in hatred. Rey laughs, “Now, now, Mara. There is no emotion, there is only peace.” She says, mocking the Jedi Code. 

The former Hand of the Emperor glares at her. “I must say, Mara. For a Jedi, you are very strong in the Dark Side.”

Before Mara can respond, a male voice asks, “What the hell is going on here?”

Rey and Kayla spin around to see a man with black curls and a kind face. He sees Mara on the ground and his eyes widen. “Mara? Is that you?” He asks. 

Mara rises to her feet, wincing in pain. “Yes, my old friend. It is me.”

The man who Rey recognizes as Lando Calrissian from Darth Vader’s memories turns to face them and his eyes widen. “Wait…Who are you?”

Rey mocks a bow, saying, “I do not believe we have met, General Calrissian. I must applaud you for destroying my grandfather’s second attempt at a planet-killer.” 

The man’s eyes widen in fear, “Yo-you are _his_ daughter!?” He asks.

Rey smirks, “Yes. It’s nice to meet you General. I am Rey Palpatine. Now I am sorry to cut this conversation short, but I need to wipe your memories of this whole event.”

Before she messes with their memories, Rey gestures with her right hand, picking up all the corpses of Stormtroopers and tossing them deep into the lava. Rey first does Lando as his memories are much easier to alter as they are much shorter. “Violet, take Lando to the ship. We need to go. The First Order will soon be here.” 

Then Rey turns to Mara. “Oh Mara. I had no plans to accompany this event. I have no desire to change your memories but you have left me with no choice.”

Rey steps forward and places her right hand on Mara’ forehead. She forces her way passed the shields Mara has and into her memory. She finds the memory of the Nkllon mission and changes it to her will. She alters it so that Mara thinks the mission went off without a hitch. Once she is done, she stitches Mara’ mind back together and then assumes a concerned look. 

Mara blinks her eyes a few times, reorienting herself. She sees a concerned Kira standing over her and asks, “What happened?”

Rey frowns, “You fell, Mara. You fell and hit your head, knocking you unconscious.” 

Mara looks embarrsed. “Oh no. I am so sorry Kira. Where is Violet?” 

Rey smiles here. “She has gone ahead with Lando. They are waiting on the ship for us.” 

Mara smiles. “Well done. I am sorry I tripped. I have never done that before.”

Rey smiles, “It is alright, Master Jade. We all make mistakes. Now I suggest we leave.”

Mara nods and allows Rey to help her to the landing platform. Luckily for Rey, she had remembered to get rid of the evidence of the Stormtroopers she and Kayla had killed.

Mara and Rey walk onto the ship and meet Kayla and Lando in the cargo hold. “It is great to meet you, General. We have heard many stories about you.” 

The General smiles, “It is good to meet you too. Luke and Leia both speak very highly of the two of you.”

Mara says, “I am going to go message Leia and tell her we are on the way back to base.” 

Lando smiles at the two girls before following Mara out of the cargo hold.

Rey turns to face Kayla. “Are you okay? I erased your mother’s memory. She doesn’t really remember much about the mission today and our identities are still a secret.”

Kayla smiles softly, “Yes, I am fine. Although, my reasoning for being down isn’t what you think. I do not care about Mara. She means nothing to me. You, on the other hand…If I lost you, I do not think I could continue living.”

Rey smiles at Kayla. “I feel the same way. And normally I would have been able to stop Mara’s attack but I was distracted. You do not need to worry about losing me.” Rey says pressing a quick kiss to Kayla’s cheek.

Kayla sighs, “I know. You are the most powerful being to ever exist and yet I still worry about you.”

Rey smiles, “That just means you care. It means that the two of us truly do care about one another.” 

Kayla leans her head on Rey’s shoulder, wrapping her right arm around Rey’s chest. Rey smiles softly as she leans her head on top of Kayla’s. The two close their eyes and revel in the feeling of the other’s presence. 

**————Unknown POV————**

“Master Jedi, we have a transmission incoming from the Jedi Luke and Leia.”

The hooded figure nods. “Patch it through.” He orders. 

A Hologram appears before him and he sees the two twins of Anakin Skywalker before him. “Ah. Just the Jedi I wanted to talk to.” The cloaked figure says.

The Skywalker twins look at him in confusion. “Who are you and how do you have our private frequency?” Leia asks.

The man sighs, slowly pulling off his hood with a cybernetic right hand. The two Jedi gasp and Luke says, “How? I thought the Emperor killed you!”

The man nods. “He came very close. After he blasted me with his lightning and threw me out of the Senate Builing window, I was able to catch myself on a civilain vehicle. I confisticated the vehicle and made my way to the nearset spaceport. I admit it, I ran. I was missing my right hand and my lightsaber was lost somewhere in Coruscant. My skin was majorly burned and I suffered vision loss from the long exposure to Force Lightning. Over the last 52 years, I have fully recovered. Due to my strong connection with the Force, I have been able to live well past the average lifespan of a human male.” 

Silence falls before the figure continues, “I am on my way to Endor. I will be there in a week. I am in the Outer Rim so it will take a while. I am bringing a fleet with me, one of my own creations. Along with an army. I have 500,000 new clones from Kamino.” He sees the looks on Luke and Leia’s faces and says, “Don’t worry, they have no chip this time to make them turn on the Jedi. They are truly loyal. I have overseen their creation and have made sure the past will not repeat itself.”

Luke and Leia smile. Leia says, “That is wonderful, Master Windu! I look forward to meeting you.”

Jedi Master Mace Windu smiles. “As do I, Leia. As do I.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Previous chapter:**

**————Unknown POV————**

Luke and Leia smile. Leia says, “That is wonderful, Master Windu! I look forward to meeting you.”

Jedi Master Mace Windu smiles. “As do I, Leia. As do I.”

**Chapter 13(The Day Before Invasion)**

**————Rey Palpatine POV**

**(One Day Until Invasion of Endor)**

Rey blinks her eyes open when she hears Mara’s voice. “Wake up Kira, Violet. We are arriving back on Endor.”

Rey slowly begins to move but a weight on her chest stops her. Kayla has her head resting on Rey’s chest. Rey smiles before slowly running her fingers through Kayla’s hair. “Wake up, Kayla.”

Rey whispers to the sleeping girl, now running her fingers down Kayla’s back, causing the still asleep girl to shiver. 

A few moments later, Kayla begins to move. She moans and says, “What Rey? Why do we have to get up?” She asks.

Rey smirks at her, “Is the great Kayla Ren whining about getting out of bed? We are arriving back on Endor and need to go talk to our _master._ ”

Kayla sighs before sitting up, allowing Rey to move. Rey rises and walks out of the room in the direction of the cargo hold where the exit ramp is not yet open. Lando is already there and greets her with a smile. Kayla soon joins her and they feel the ship around them shake as it passes through the atmosphere. A few moments later, the shockwave rocks the ship as it touches down.

Moments later, Mara joins the three of them and opens the cargo hold. Outside the ship, a crowd of Resistance fighters stand waiting. When they see Lando, they all begin to cheer. 

Luke and Leia walk forward and give their long-time friend a hug with Han doing the same close behind. Mara, Rey, and Kayla wait for a minute before walking out of the ship. The crowd of Resistance members cheers them as they see them, Rey and Kayla specifically getting very loud cheers. Luke and Leia gesture for Mara, Kayla, and Rey to follow her and lead them to the command room. 

She turns around and brings Rey and Kayla into a hug. “You two did brilliantly, Kira, Violet. Luke and I are very proud of you.” She takes a breath before saying, “Maz Kanata is dead, meaning that most likely, the First Order knows approximately where we are. My son wouldn’t kill her until he had some information of value. The Resistance has a very powerful ally arriving here a few days from now and then we are going to leave this system. You two may rest for the rest of the day, you have earned it.”

After saying this, Leia walks out of the command room. Rey and Kayla walk out of the room, heading through their quarters. When they reach them, Rey opens the door and the two walk in. The second the door closes behind them, Rey presses Kayla against the wall of their room and smashes her mouth against Kayla’s, eliciting a moan of surprise and pleasure from Kayla.

Rey quickly pulls away, knowing her self-control was near the breaking point and says, “Let us go to our bathing spot. There is some Stormtrooper blood on me and I wish to bathe of the sulfurous smell from that volcanic planet.”

Kayla nods, face flush from the brief kiss and desire clear on her face. “That is true.” She says.

Rey and Kayla both grab a new pair of clothes to change into from a stack of new clothes sitting on their beds and walk out of their quarters in the direction of the river. They walk past many Resistance members and unlike before, they all smile at Rey and Kayla. 

Once they reach the river, they walk downstream until they reach their cove and then they both go to their usual spots at the edge of the pool. They both strip off their old clothes, ash and soot falling off of them as they do. Rey lowers her body into the frigid water, only the lower part of her body is warm because that is where the hot spring is. 

She runs her hands down her body, brushing off all she can without soap or a sponge. She massages her body, releasing the tension from her limbs and muscles. Once she finishes cleaning herself, an unspoken question is asked and Kayla goes to her usual spot behind Rey and runs her fingers gently through Rey’s hair, pulling it back into a bundle. Kayla begins to braid Rey’s hair, brushing her hands along Rey’s back as she does so, causing Rey to shiver.

Once she finishes, Rey and Kayla with places, Rey moving behind Kayla and running her fingers through Kayla’s blonde hair. Kayla’s hair has streaks of black as the illusion begins to burn away. Rey gently wraps her arms around Kayla’s chest and pulls Kayla’s body against her’s.

**Warning: Major intimate activities. Skip to next bold message if you do not want to read them.**

Kayla’s arse presses against Rey’s womanhood as Rey continues to braid Kayla’s hair, running her fingers across Kayla’s collarbone, causing Kayla to moan. 

Before Rey can finish braiding Kayla’s hair, Kayla spins around, puts her left hand behind Rey’s head, and crashes their lips together. 

For a moment, Rey is shocked but then she begins to eagerly respond. Kayla shoves Rey against the edge of the pool, placing her body on top of Rey’s. Rey feels her breasts pressed against Kayla’s and moans into Kayla’s mouth. 

Rey quickly decides to change up the game and uses the Force to flip Kayla beneath her, pressing her mouth to Kayla’s once more before pulling back and lowering her mouth to Kayla’s neck and biting down gently, leaving a mark where she did so. Then she moves her mouth lower to Kayla’s right breast while her right hand massages Kayla’s left breast. This action causes the other woman to gasp in surprise and pleasure, moans of pleasure escaping her in droves as Rey continues to gently caress and bite Kayla’s nipples. She slowly begins to move her mouth lower, kissing as she moves her way down. 

She gently kisses Kayla’s stomach and abdomen as she moves lower. Finally, she reaches her destination and smirks up at Kayla who is looking at her through glassy eyes. 

Kayla’s cunt is bare and Rey gently brings her left hand down to rub against it. Above her, Kayla gasps at the new feeling of having someone else touch her womanhood. 

Rey continues to massage the sensitive folds, causing Kayla’s body to react to the pleasure. Finally, with a glance up at Kayla, Rey places her mouth against Kayla’s folds and quickly licks them, tasting the sweet liquid coming from Kayla combined with the water rushing off her body around them. 

Kayla bucks her body at this action, pressing her womanhood against Rey’s face. Rey smiles as she uses her tongue to pleasure her lover to the brink, her left hand still rubbing the sensitive nub above Kayla’s cunt. Finally, Kayla screams in pleasure and the sign of that pleasure shoots all over Rey’s face. Rey eagerly drinks the liquid, awed at the feeling of love and lust she feels in that moment. 

Once Kayla comes down from her orgasmic high, Rey brings her face back up to Kayla’s and kisses her once more, transferring a small amount of Kayla’s into her mouth. Kayla gasps in surprise at the taste of her own juices but continues to kiss Rey back. 

— **Warning End—**

Neither girl notices as the sun around them begins to set and the sky darkens. When the two finally break apart, both of their lips are swollen and Rey’s face has a dried white substance on it. Kayla blushes at the sight before placing her hands in the water and cleaning Rey’s face.

Once the two are clean, they slowly climb out of the pool. The moonlight hits them and a flash of light occurs. The water rushes off of their bodies and it is at that moment that Rey and Kayla notice that the illusions hiding their true appearances are completely gone. Rey’s eyes glow red once more and her pale skin is back, along with her dark-brown hair. Kayla has her black hair back fully and her features have changed back to normal. Her eyes are no longer purple and are now their original vibrant blue.

Suddenly, a voice appears in Rey’s head. “ **Lady Palpatine. I have entered the system with your ship. I have the cloaking device equipped. Where should I land?** ”

Rey’s eyes widen as she realizes what the voice means, “ **I am glad you can make it, Maul. I will guide you to the correct landing spot. I am having you land in the woods is that no-one will see us.** ”

“ **As you wish, milady. I will soon arrive and will need your guidance.** ”

Rey nods her head, “ **Of course, Maul. I will message you once I reach where you should land. Then all you will have to do is follow my signature as I am about to release my true Force signature for a brief moment. Then I am going to reactivate Force Cloak so make sure to lock on to my position.** ” 

Rey cuts off the mental link and quickly pulls on her clothes as Kayla does the same, asking, “What is it Rey? What has you in such a hurry?”

Rey smiles coldly, “The invasion begins now. Maul has arrived in this system with our ship and our lightsabers. From there, we will remain hidden in the woods until Kylo Ren arrives tomorrow morning with the First Order.”

Kayla’s eyes widen. “The invasion…is tomorrow? We finally get to kill Snoke?” She asks.

Rey smirks, “Yes to both. We will kill FN-2187 and Snoke onboard the _Supremacy._ From there, I will leave Kylo in control of the First Order while I return to the Final Order and prepare to present myself to the galaxy as a candidate for the position of Empress. I hope to keep up the facade of being a Jedi Padawan as that way, I will have support from those who are against the First Order.” Rey turns to look into Kayla’s eyes. “On the other hand, I wish for you to come with me. I do not want to go through this alone.”

Kayla smiles brightly. “You don’t even need to ask, Rey. Of course I will come with you. I love you.”

Rey smiles brighter than she ever has before as she says, “I love you too, Kayla. I don’t know how I got luck enough to meet you.”

Kayla smirks, “I do believe you captured me and dragged me before you in your throne room before revealing that my father was the man that you and my surrogate brother hate above all others.”

Rey nods. “I guess that is true.” She turns and begins to walk into the forest. “We need to find a place for Maul to land that is far enough away that the Resistance won’t hear the ship land. It may be invisible, but it isn’t silent.”

Kayla quickly nods and runs to catch up with Rey as she walks through the woods. After ten minutes of walking, they come to an empty clearing in the woods and Rey closes her eyes, focusing on Maul. “ **Alright, Maul. I am at an acceptable landing spot for you. Track my signature through the mental link as I do not yet want to reveal my aura of power to the Jedi.** ”

Maul sends feelings of acceptance through the link and a few minutes later, the sound of a ship landing is heard. The brush and leaves on the ground fly away as the invisible shuttle lands. The sound of the ship touching down is heard and then a visible distortion appears in the air as the ship shimmers into existence. 

The ramp lowers and the sound of Maul’s metal legs walking is heard and soon he comes into view. He walks forward and lowers himself onto a knee, saying, “It is good to see you, Lady Palpatine. Ah, and you, Lady Ren.” He says, lookin at Rey and then Kayla.

“Rise Maul. There is no need for such displays of respect until the galaxy is at its knees before me.” Rey says.

The Dathomirian Sith rises, a victorious smirk on his face as triumph dances in his yellow eyes. “Oh please. We both know that no one can defeat you. Anyone who would have stood a chance is now dead.” 

Rey smirks before her face falls, “Wait, now I seem to recall Leia Skywalker saying something about a powerful new ally, though she did not disclose the identity of said ally. Whoever it is may prove a threat to me and my plans.” She shakes her head. “No matter. Whoever it is will die one way or another, no matter the power they possess.” 

Maul and Kayla both smile at their Empress before Rey says, “Alright. We need to wait on the ship. Kylo is going to pick up this ship during the invasion tomorrow, along with capturing the Force Sensitive Stormtrooper.”

Rey walks back into the ship, Maul and Kayla close behind her. She suddenly spins around, “Oh and Maul? Ahsoka Tano is here. For now, we are going to let her escape as killing her would be a waste of a very powerful and experienced asset.”

Maul’s eyes widen. “Really? I though Lady Tano was kill by Vader on Malachor. She must have fought Vader to a standstill before fleeing. I must say, she continues to impress me. I really wish she had agreed to side with me on Mandalore. Leaving her on that falling Venator-Class command ship was a tough decision but a necessary one. Her display of power on that ship was very impressive. She held my shuttle with the Force for a good ten seconds before being forced to let me go by the clones trying to kill her.”

Rey’s eyes widen at the display of knowledge Maul possesses about Ahsoka before she says, “For now, I am going to retire to my quarters. I need to prepare for tomorrow.”

Rey says this and then walks into her room, leaving Maul and Kayla in the cargo hold. She enters her room and walks over to where she put her cloak and saber. She calls her saber into her hand, marveling at the feeling of having her own saber in her hand, rather than the fake one the Skywalker twins gave her. She ignites one end of the blade, revealing a red saber. She goes to ignite the other end and to her shock, a blade the color of midnight emerges. ” _What the…”_ She thinks to herself.

The black blade makes a different sound as it moves through the air than the red one does. The blade is outlined in a white color and an aura of darkness exudes from it. 

Rey deactivates the blade and places it on her bed. She quickly removes the outfit the Resistance gave her and puts her Sith outfit back on. The soft black fabric makes the Jedi robes feel super rough in comparison. She pulls the hood over her face and takes a deep breath.

Rey opens a link to Kylo Ren and says, “ **Kylo. Prepare your fleet. Enter hyperspace at zero two hundred. I need you to arrive here as the sun rises so that the Resistance won’t have time to attack. When you arrive, contact me and I will tell you where to pick up my ship. Also, do not forget to capture FN-2187. For now, we need to leave Luke and Leia Skywalker, Mara Jade, Chewbacca and Ahsoka Tano alive. You may kill anyone else you se fit but leave enough alive so that they can begin rebuilding.** ” 

Kylo responds, “ **Yes, milady. I have had my fleet waiting a parsecs away so we could get there soon after you order us.** ”

Rey smiles. “ **Good. Tomorrow, my ascension begins for real. Tomorrow, Snoke dies.** ” She says.

Kylo responds, “ **Thank the Force. Snoke is a terrible master and isn’t even very powerful. Or at least, he is nothing compared to you.** ”

Rey smiles, “ **Thank you Kylo. I look forward to working more closely with you in the future.** ”

Rey closes her eyes, a smile on her face as she opens a connection with her grandfather. “ **Grandfather, tomorrow I plan on killing Snoke. From there, I will be turning over command of the First Order to Kylo as he now serves me.** ”

“ **Good. I am proud of you granddaughter. I could never have asked for a better heir. I am proud of the path you are following and look forward to when you use my fleet to do your bidding and take control over the galaxy.** ” The voice of Darth Sidious says, pride in his voice. “ **Also, I suggest you begin thinking about how you will use the _Ultimus_ in your conquest. It is the most powerful ship ever built and should not be wasted.**” 

Rey nods, “ **I agree. I will grandfather, and thank you for everything. Without you, I would still be a starving girl stranded on Jakku.** ”

“ **It is I who should be thanking you, granddaughter. You healed me to the form I had before the Rise of the Empire and my connection to the Force has never been stronger. Before you go, I have very important news for you.** ”

Rey frowns, “ **What is it, grandfather?** ”

Darth Sidious says, “ **There has been a disturbance in the Force. A powerful Jedi survives in the mid-rim. I believe it to be one of the members of the Jedi council. My spies inform me that whoever it is possess a fleet of warships. I do not know how many, however.** ”

Rey nods, “ **I understand, grandfather. I believe that whoever it is is the ally Leia Skywalker mentioned to me. This Jedi may become a threat and I will keep a close eye on any rumors pertaining to the mysterious Jedi.** ”

Rey cuts the connection and calls her lightsaber to her hand, attaching it to her suits belt, and walks out of her room. She is surprised to see Kayla and Maul sitting crosslegged in the cargo hold, meditating. The two both open their eyes as Rey enters the room and both nod to her in respect. 

She settles herself on the ground besides Kayla and closes her eyes, focusing on the events of the next day. She slowly opens her eyes and both Maul and Kayla gasp. “What is it?” Rey asks, confused.

Kayla shakily says, “Your eyes Rey. One is the usual red but one is now a pitch black color.” 

Rey’s widen before she reaches down and ignites her saber. The red end appears first but when the black blade appears, Maul gasps. “There is no way…” He mutters.

“What is it, Maul?” Rey asks.

Maul looks at her, “There was a prophecy long ago, milady. It spoke of a Sith who would possess the power to destroy the balance between light and dark and leave the galaxy in shadows. Most passed it off as a myth but some Sith took it as fact. Further research into the prophecy revealed that it spoke of a Sith with two polar-opposite eyes. One a bright, vibrant red and one a cold, dark black. According to the legend, the only threat to this Sith’s reign would be a Jedi who wields a purple blade.”

Rey’s eyes widen as her mind processes the new information. “Wait, a purple blade? Only one Jedi has ever wielded a purple blade as Mara Jade doesn’t count as she isn’t a Jedi. Mace Windu was supposedly killed by my grandfather decades ago. If he survived, he will be the biggest threat to my reign. Especially if what my grandfather said about him possessing a fleet is true. Along with Luke, Leia, Mara, Han, and Chewbacca, they might actually be able to build a Resistance that will prove itself to be more than just a pest.”

Kayla and Maul both look at her as she continues to think over the newfound information. “I need to meditate on what this means for my plans. Goodnight to both of you. Kylo is arriving at zero-five-hundred so be ready by then.”

Rey walks out of the room, wondering if there might actually be a threat to her power. A feeling she hasn’t felt since she lived on Jakku and one she very much hates.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Previous chapter:**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

Kayla and Maul both look at her as she continues to think over the newfound information. “I need to meditate on what this means for my plans. Goodnight to both of you. Kylo is arriving at zero-five-hundred so be ready by then.”

Rey walks out of the room, wondering if there might actually be a threat to her power. A feeling she hasn’t felt since she lived on Jakku and one she very much hates.

**Chapter 14(Tragedy)**

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

Luke sits crosslegged on his meditation pillow in his chambers. Mara lies on the bed, her red hair splayed around her. As Luke focuses his mind on the Force, it guides him throughout the galaxy, showing him quick images of the happenings of the galaxy. His sight is nearly completely blocked by a swirling black cloud of darkness. 

He sighs and cuts off his vision, standing up to walk towards Mara. “I can’t see anything, Mara. My vision is completely impaired by darkness. I don’t know who could be doing this as Snoke doesn’t possess the power or knowledge to do so. The Emperor’s granddaughter is a possibility but I do not believe she could possibly possess that much power in the darkness yet, even if she did destroy Ben in combat.”

Mara sits up, her red hair flowing up behind her. “You seem to be overlooking the most obvious candidate, my love. My former master still lives and we both know that he is very powerful in the darkness.”

Luke sighs as he nods his head, “That is true but for some reason, I do not feel as if he is the one behind this darkness. I am going to attempt to contact the spirits of the Jedi who came before for advice.”

Mara nods her head, “I understand. I am here of you need me, Luke,” she says.

Luke smiles and nods at her, “I know you are, Mara. I love you.”

The red-haired woman smiles, “I love you too, farm-boy.”

Luke smiles at Mara and walks out of the room. He slowly walks through the Resistance base, ignoring all of the awed looks he receives from the Resistance fighters as he enters the forest. 

He walks into a clearing with the moon illuminating a fallen tree in the middle of it and sits down. He closes his eyes and focuses on the Jedi who came before. The sounds of the Endor forest ring in his ears as he hopes to hear the voice of the Jedi.

Suddenly, the sound around him cuts out and Luke spins around to see someone he hoped he would never have to again. The figure’s wrinkled skin and glowing yellow eyes hold an amused malice to them that makes Luke feel uncomfortable. “ _Luke…Skywalker…_ ” The figure hisses.

Luke shivers at the cold aura the figure exudes, “Darth Sidious.” He says.

The man laughs cruely. “ _Such a pity. How much grander and more powerful you could have become if you had only chosen to side with me. If you had taken your place at my side_.”

Luke sneers, “As if I would ever join you. You ruined my family. You twisted my father and killed my mother.”

The cloaked man shakes his head, “ _No. I did not kill Padmé Amidala. I had no desire to. She and I were both born on Naboo and I genuinely respected her. It was your father who used the Force to choke your pregnant mother, not me._ ”

Suddenly, the darkness in the clearing lifts slightly as the Force Ghost of Anakin Skywalker appears, “Do not listen to him, Luke.”

Luke gasps, “Father…where have you been for the past decades?” 

The ghost sighs, “I followed a dark path at the guidance at that man…” Anakin says, gesturing at Palpatine. “It took me a long time to return to normal. Even now, my deeds haunt me. I killed thousands, Luke. I kill children who were barely even able to hold a lightsaber, let alone defend themselves from me.” 

Luke shakes his head, “No father. Those are the actions of Darth Vader. You were twisted and manipulated down a dark path, one that you had no control over once you entered it.”

The Force Ghost bows his head in acceptance, “That may be true but ultimately, it was my own actions that set me on that path. Palpatine set the path in place but I am the one who chose to follow it.” 

Luke nods sadly, “I understand, father. Now why are you here? Why have you chosen now to reveal yourself? Master Windu is on the way and will fortify our position against the First Order.”

Anakin goes to respond but is interrupted by a cruel, cold laugh. “ _You fools. Do you truly think you stand a chance even with the help of Mace Windu?_ ” Palpatine asks.

Anakin smirks, “Well, as I remember it, Master Windu beat you, didn’t he? He can do it again.” 

Palpatine’s smile only grows wider, “ _Defeating me has nothing to do with the fight that is to come. Don’t you wonder why you cannot see anything in the Force? Why everything is clouded in darkness? This time, the darkness will triumph and there is nothing you can do about it._ ”

Anakin looks at his former master, “If you aren’t behind the darkness, who is? The Jedi Ghosts all know that Snoke does not possess the power or the knowledge to do this. Your granddaughter is too young and inexprienced to be capable of this level of power and my nephew is too conflicted to create this much darkness.”

Darth Sidious smirks cruely, “ _Why would I tell you who is behind the darkness? You will find out soon enough._ ” Palpatine vanishes after saying this, leaving no trace of his presence behind. 

Anakin turns to Luke, “I truly am sorry, Luke. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Luke nods, “I know, father. I forgave you decades ago.” Luke pauses for a moment before saying, “What should I do, father?” Luke asks.

Anakin sighs, “I do not know what to tell you, son. The darkness has entirely clouded the galaxy from the ghosts of the Jedi. I am only here because I possess the power to override the darkness for a small amount of time. The darkness is coming, Luke. It is like nothing I have ever seen. This darkness exudes a level of power that even I don’t come close to. The power is twisted, dark. It draws on the negative emotions of a person and turns those emotions into more power. Whoever is creating this darkness, they would crush you Luke. With the level of power I felt, I could see this person destroying a planet with raw Force Energy.”

Luke just stares at his father, “Who could possess that power, father? Is there someone else we aren’t aware of? Has anyone ever possessed this level of power before?” Luke asks.

Anakin shakes his head. “No. Whoever this is possesses more power than any documented Force user ever. Master Yoda thinks that it might be a deity of the dark side but if that was the case, than there would be the light deity too. There must always be balance. The Force desires balance.”

Luke nods his head, “Yes. That is the main error I have always had with the ways of the Jedi Council. They seem to have believed that light was the balance the galaxy desires but that isn’t it. There needs to be a true balance between light and dark, Jedi and Sith.” Luke is interrupted as the sun peaks over the horizon. 

Anakin nods, “Yes. You are correct. Many of the members of the Jedi Council still see it that way though Master Yoda no longer does. He has accepted the fact that light needs darkness. There can never be a true victor in the fight of light versus dark as the Force will prevent a true winner.” 

Luke nods. Anakin opens his mouth but when he speaks, Luke looks at him in confusion. “Luke…coming…the darkness…overwhelming…I can’t…” Suddenly, Anakin disappears and the sky darkens even as the sun rises. 

Luke looks up and gasps in horror. In the sky above Endor, a fleet of First Order Star Destroyers sits. A trail of landing craft are already making their way towards the ground. Luke’s eyes are drawn to the sleek black command shuttle of his nephew as it glides towards the ground. 

Luke takes off through the woods, his legs running faster than they have in years. He reaches the Resistance base and is horrified to see that no one has noticed the fleet in the sky yet. “Wake up! They have found us! Get to a transport now!” Luke yells. 

The Resistance falls into chaos as they notice the ships in the sky above them. Luke rushes into the base, entering his chambers. He makes his way to Mara’s side and carresses her side. “Wake up, Mara! We need to go now!”

Mara opens her eyes, the green orbs wide with confusion. “What is it, Luke?” She asks.

Luke quickly responds, “It is the First Order! They are landing as we speak. We need to gather the others and get out of here.” He says.

Mara quickly jumps out of bed and pulls on her clothes. Luke and Mara walk out of the room, bumping into Leia, Han, Lando, and Ahsoka as they do. “Where are Kira, Violet, and Finn?” Leia asks, worry in her voice. 

Luke shakes his head, “I do not know, Leia. I haven’t seen Kira and Violet since we dismissed them yesterday. I saw Finn last night when Mara and I were training him. I do not know where he is now.” 

Ahsoka adds, “The darkness on this planet is more than I have ever felt. We need to leave. Now. We cannot allow all of us to be captured. Master Windu won’t be here until it is too late and even if he arrives, his fleet will be crushed. We need to escape and warn him.”

The six all nod in grim agreement and make their way to the landing platform. Hundreds of Resistance members run around, all trying to find a ship to get in. The six make their way around the crowd, trying to avoid being seen. They reach the _Millenium Falcon_ and find Chewbacca already in the ship and ready to take off. Han sits down next to Chewbacca but Ahsoka places a hand on his shoulder. “I know that you are a fantastic pilot, Han, but this situation may call for the enhanced reflexes the Force will give me.”

Han reluctanly nods and allows Ahsoka to replace him. Han smiles in crudging admiration at the practiced ease Ahsoka’s hands fly across the controls. The _Falcon_ take off, and shoots up into the atmosphere of Endor, passing by many First Order craft as they do. The seven beings on the ship hold their breath but are confused when none of the ships make a move to attack them. Leia and Luke both take a collective intake of breath as they sense Ben fly right over their head in his command shuttle. 

The _Falcon_ reaches open space and Ahsoka enters coordinates for Lothal as the First Order possesses no holding on the planet. The stars before the ship disappear as the _Falcon_ enters lightspeed.

**————Kylo Ren POV————**

**—— _Ten Minutes Earlier——_**

Kylo paces the bridge of his flag ship, anticipation and eagerness flowing through him. The lines of hyperspace are clear before the ship and the bridge of his personal Star Destroyer is filled with officers preparing the ship for arrival above Endor. “Sir, we have arrived.” 

Kylo turns his attention to the front viewport as Endor appears before the ship. Kylo watches as over fifteen other Star Destroyers appear in formation on all sides of his flagship and then he turns and walks brisquely out of the bridge, ordering, “Ready my command shuttle and prepare the landing craft. Alert all fighters and pilots that they are not to fire on the _Millenium Falcon_.”

General Hux sneers at him, “Excuse me? The Supreme Leader would not want any—.” Hux is cut off by Kylo tightening his Force grip and General Hux’s neck.

He hears the answering ‘Yessir’ as he walks out, along with the sound of Hux choking. Kylo’s cloak billows out behind him as he walks. His hand reaches for his lightsaber at his hip, gently touching it to reassure himself. He reaches his personal hanger and makes his way to his command shuttle, a sleek, black Upsilon-class ship. He boards it and orders the pilot to fly towards the surface until Kylo tells him otherwise. 

He closes his eyes and reaches out with the Force, “ **Milady. I am here. The fleet is in orbit and I am on my way down in my command shuttle. If you send me your location, I can come get you right now.** ”

The Sith Empress quickly responds, “ **Alright. Also, do not forget to capture FN-2187. I am sending you a connection to me. Just follow it and you will find us.** ”

Kylo nods wand walks up to the pilot, making the pilot get up so he can take his place. He follows Rey’s signature all the way until his shuttle skims over the tree tops. He arrives at an apparently empty clearing but he can sense his Empress right beneath him. “ **Is your ship invisible?** ” Kylo asks.

His Empress sighs, “ **Yes. I will go deactivate the cloaking device. Maul, Kayla, and I are ready. As soon as you can see my ship, pick it up and then send your division to capture FN-2187.** ” 

Kylo nods and waits a moment. When the ship appears, Kylo slowly lowers the bottom of his command shuttle until it hangs right above the parked ship. He presses a series of buttons, activating magnetic lifts on the bottom of the ship and picking up the smaller craft.

Kylo guides the command shuttle out of the trees and back into the open sky. He flies it back to his personal hanger where he gently sits the ship down. He turns on his comm, “General Hux, tell Captain Phasma to make sure to capture FN-2187 but make sure he is alive. Also, tell her to bring Force-suppressing cuffs. FN-2187 is Force Sensitive. Have her bring him to my personal hanger.”

The red-haired General mutters in ascent before deactivating the comm. “ _As soon as Snoke is dead, I am asking Rey for permission to kill Hux._ ”

Kylo lands his ship next to Rey’s and walks out of it, coming to a stop in front of the exit ramp of her ship. A few moments later, Kayla walks out. Maul is next, his glowing yellow eyes standing out against his red and black skin. Then Rey exits and Kylo nearly gasps. She has never looked so beautiful and it awakens the image he saw in his vision once more. He quickly suppresses the image and then does a double take when he sees Rey’s eyes. One is the old, glowing, red color. But now, one is a cold, dark black color. The black eye seems to draw shadows towards her. 

Rey and Kayla are back in their usual Sith outfits and Maul wears a black cloak and has a metal cane that Kylo instantly can tell is a lightsaber. Rey has her unique saber hanging on her hip and Kayla has her’s in her hand. 

Kylo walks forwards and lowers himself onto a knee. “Milady.” He says.

Rey smiles, “Kylo. You have done well. Have you captured FN-2187?” She asks.

Kylo nods his head. “Yes, milady. I sent my best captain to capture him. If he hasn’t been captured, he will be soon.”

Rey nods her head, “Good. We will wait for his arrival.” Rey turns to Kayla. “Kayla and I need to hide our appearances so FN-2187 won’t recognize us because if he does he may be able to warn them to my identity.”

Kayla nods and the two women pull hoods over their faces. Kylo turns to face Maul, “It is an honor to meet you, Lord Maul. I was told stories about your fighting ability and power.”

The former Sith Lord just smirks, “It is certainly pleasant to be back in combat. I was so bored in my…retirement.”

Kylo returns his smirk inside his mask. A minite later, Phasma’s shuttle appears and Kylo quickly hands cuffs to Maul, Kayla, and Rey. “Put these on until we reach the throne room. They resemble Force-suppressing cuffs but are actually just normal cuffs.”

The three nod and place the cuffs on their arms. Phasma’s shuttle lands and she walks out, her silver armor thumping against the floor of the hanger. Behind her, four Stormtroopers surround a beaten and bleeding FN-2187. Phasma walks up to Kylo and hands him FN-2187’s lightsaber.

“Well done, Phasma. You are dismissed. I will take the prisoners to the Supreme Leader.” Kylo says, fingering the saber in one hand. 

The captain nods and walks back on to her ship with her troopers close behind. Kylo turns to face FN-2187. “Traitor.” He hisses through his mask.

The former Stormtrooper flinches but doesn’t say anything. Kylo begins walking, making sure that FN-2187, Rey, Maul, and Kayla are following him. He leads them on to his lift that takes them to the throne room and then turns and looks at Rey. “The Supreme Leader is excited to meet you all.” He says, his voice filled humor. 

Rey smirks, “I am sure he is. He will be in for a rude awakening.” She says, laughing shortly. 

FN-2187 looks at the cloaked figure in shock. “Wait…Rey? Is that you? Why are you here? Why are you dressed in black? Who are the people with you?”

Rey smirks behind her hood, “Hello FN-2187. I would like you to meet my friend Darth Maul, and of course, my girlfriend Kayla Ren.”

Kylo’s eyes snap to Kayla in shock. “ _Rey and Kayla are together!? Since when? I am glad Kayla has found someone but did it have to be Rey?_ ”

FN-2187 gasps in horror, “You! You are a traitor!? How dare you betray Luke and Leia! Why are you doing this?” He asks.

Rey’s face turns cold, “Me? A traitor? I am not the one who betrayed the ones I had sworn my allegiance to. And besides, you cannot betray what you were never truly a part of. And as for how I am willing to betray Luke and Leia, I have many reasons. Luke murdered my parents in cold blood when I was only a few months old. Luke tried to kill Kylo here in his sleep because he feared the darkness within him. And of course, Kayla Ren. The daughter of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. Mara ran away with her before she was even born. She did not know her father was Luke until I told her a week ago.”

FN-2187’s eyes widen, “Who are you?” He asks.

Rey smirks, her hand reaching for her hood as she pulls it off. “Hello FN-2187. It is good to meet you. I am Darth Rhaelyx, Rey Palpatine, the Sith Empress…You may call me any of those titles but one thing remains constant; I am evil, FN-2187. And nothing will ever change that.”

FN-2187 just looks at her in horror, his eyes drawn to her eyes. “That isn’t possible…” he mutters. 

Rey smirks, pulling her hood back on. “Oh, I am afraid it is.”

The metal doors of the lift open, revealing Snoke’s throne room. Kylo walks out, saying, “Come. The Supreme Leader is ready to meet you.” 

Kylo leads the way with Maul right behind him. Rey and Kayla are behind him, forcing FN-2187 to walk into the throne room. 

The Supreme Leader rises from his throne, “Well done, my good and faithful apprentice. You have exceeded my expectations.” 

At his side, Kylo can hear Rey muffling laughter. “Who are these prisoners, Kylo Ren and why are they still armed?” Snoke asks.

Kylo smirks, “Master, I would like you to meet Darth Maul, FN-2187, and…Darth Rhaelyx.”

Snoke steps forwards, “I see. Well, why are they still armed?” He asks once more. He turns to face Rey. “And who is Darth Rhaelyx?”

Rey begins to openly laugh, a cold cruel sound echoing around the throne room. “Supreme Leader Snoke. It is good to finally meet you. I…am Rey Palpatine. I am the Sith Empress.”

The Supreme Leader looks at her in shock and spins towards Kylo, an angry look on his face. Before he can do anything, red lightning engulfs him, causing him to scream in agony. Rey ignites one end of her saber, a red blade appearing, and slowly walks towards Snoke, a stream of lightning still emitting from one hand. She walks forwards to stand right before Snoke. “You are nothing, Snoke. Nothing more than an experiment my grandfather created in a lab. And you will die as nothing.”

The Praetorian Guards all move to attack but stop when they see what happens next.

Rey ignites the other end of her lightsaber and Kylo gasps along with his master. A black blade appears, humming with dark energy. “The Sith Empress…” Snoke mutters.

Rey nods, “Correct. Goodbye, Snoke.” In one brutal downwards strike, Snoke is cut all the way in half from forehead to groin. 

A moment of silence descends on the throne room, only interrupted by FN-2187 sobbing quitely in horror. Rey turns to face him. “I hate traitors.” 

FN-2187 cowers, “Rey…please don’t hurt me.” He whimpers.

Rey smiles sadistically, “Fine. I won’t hurt you.” She turns to Maul. “Kill him.” She orders as she walks towards Kylo.

The former Sith smiles coldly as he stalks towards the cowering deserter. He lifts up his walking stick and ignites one end of the blade. He swings the blade down but before it can reach FN-2187, the strike is blocked by a blue saber. 

Maul is so surprised at FN-2187 summoning the lightsaber into his hand that he is unabl to block a strike that slices deep into his left leg. 

Maul falls to a knee, clutching his leg in pain. Rey spins around, fury dancing across her features. She begins to walk towards FN-2187 but before she can, Kylo says, “Please, milady. Let me kill this traitor.”

She nods her agreement and walks over to stand at Kayla’s side, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her cross. 

She watches in anticipation as Kylo stalks towards FN-2187, his red, crackling blade appearing at his side. As Kylo nears the deserter, he begins to move quicker. His strides lengthening until he crashes his blade against the blue one.

Rey smiles, knowing that FN-2187 stands no chance against Kylo Ren. She watches as Kylo disarms FN-2187, flinging the blue saber off to the side. Kylo turns to face her, a question clear. Rey nods her head and Kylo turns to kill the deserter only to be met with a blue blade right to the stomach. 

Rey and Kayla both gasp and Rey’s eyes fill with fury. A terrible realization comes to her as she remembers the vision she had of Kylo’s death. She rushes towards Kylo’s fallen form, fury and horror on her face. She lowers herself onto one knee and pulls Kylo’s head into her lap. “I…I am…I am sorry…” He says, coughing blood. “I have failed you, milady.” 

Rey feels her horror displayed on her face as she says, “You are not going to die, Kylo. We just killed your master, we cannot lose you. I cannot lose you…” 

Kylo reaches his shaking hands up and unlatches the clasps holding his mask in place. He removes it and Rey’s eyes widen. Kylo’s face is beaded in sweat and his eyes are gorwing more and more drowsy. “I…I am happy for you, Kira.” He says, looking at his surrogate sister. “You deserve happiness as much as anyone.”

Kayla Ren removes her hood, tears rolling down her face. “Don’t die, Ben. I cannot lose you.”

Rey’s eyes widen at the use of his real name but Kylo doesn’t react. “You will…never truly lose…me.” Kylo says with a cough, struggling to speak. “No one is…ever really gone.” 

Kylo’s eyes close and Rey feels the life finally disappear from Kylo Ren’s body. His head falls limp and Rey gently lowers it to the ground of the throne room. “You will be avenged, Kylo Ren. I will get you back. I possess the power to bring you back and I will. You are not gone.” Rey says, a lone tear sliding down her face.

A moment of silence splits the throne room as Rey begins to shake in anger. She slowly stands up and turns to face the murderer standing across from her. Everyone in the throne gasps at the aura of power the Sith Empress emits as she stalks towards FN-2187. “You…are going to die the most painful death I can give you. You are going to suffer the pain of a thousand deaths as I watch. You are going to suffer for the rest of time. I will not kill you until I feel you have suffered enough. Now…let’s begin.” 

Rey gestures with her right hand and FN-2187 floats up into the air, a look of unadulterated fear on his face. Rey gently squeezes her left hand and snaps every bone in the traitor’s left arm, causing him to scream out in agony. 

The others in the throne room watch in stunned fascination as their Empress tortures FN-2187 well beyond insanity. When she finally stops, the man collapses to the ground, not moving. Only the staggered rise and fall of his chest signals that he still live. Rey walks forwards and ignites the black end of her saber. She places it against the man’s face and allows it to burn off the skin there. Then she takes a step back and in one swift movement, plunges the blade all the way through FN-2187’s head. 

She swings her arm upwards, causing gore and blood to spray out as the brain of FN-2187 falls onto the floor. 

Rey turns and stalks out of the throne room, ordering, “Stay here, I am bringing Kylo back.” She brings Kylo’s body with her. She reaches Kylo’s hanger and brings the man onto her ship. She places him gently in the co-pilots chair and then enters the coordinates of Exegol. She jumps the ship into hyperspace, her eyes not leaving Kylo’s pale, dead face.

When a few hours later the ship arrives at Exegol, Rey orders into her comm. “ _Ultimus_ , prepare for my arrival and set a course for the Hosnian system. It is time to test out this super weapon…” 

**————Leia Skywalker POV————**

Leia sits in the cargo hold of the _Millenium Falcon,_ laying her head on Han’s shoulder. Luke and Mara enter the room, grim looks on their faces. “We contacted Master Windu. He is going to rendevous with us at Lothal in a single transport. He is sending his fleet back to the Mid-Rim for now.”

Leia nods and stands up. Before she can, a wave of light washes over her followed by the feeling of a powerful Force user dying. “What was that?” She asks Luke. 

“Snoke is dead.” Ahsoka says, entering the room.

The seven beings on the ship share confused looks, “Who would kill him? Could it be Ben?” Leia asks.

Silence falls as Luke thinks before he says, “I am sorry, sister. I can sense that Ben Solo is still gone. Kylo Ren is still the one in control.” 

Leia sighs but nods her head. She closes her eyes, wishing her son would return to her. Then, the most intense pain she has ever felt washes over her. The cries out, as do Luke and Ahsoka. Leia senses a death that she hoped she would never feel. “Ben…” She whispers, a sob escaping her throat. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**The Dark Heir**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY, DISNEY AND LUCASFILM OWN ALL CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT. I DO NOT MAKE MONEY FROM THIS, THIS IS PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.**

Description **:** SPOILERS FOR TROS! An AU for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. Rey is a scavenger from nowhere when she is found by an agent of The Final Order. She is taken to a planet called Exegol. There she will learn the truth of her lineage and ascend to take her grandfather’s place. With The Final Order backing her, she will not be stopped. GREATERGOOD!LUKE DARK!REY, REYLO!

 **Pairings:** Rey Palpatine/Kylo Ren AND Rey Palpatine/Kayla Ren.

 **Rating:** Rated Mature. Contains Language, Violence, Descriptions of Sexual and Intimate Actions, Mentions of Rape and other content not suited for some of those under the age of eighteen.

**Fonts:**

Normal dialogue and script(Normal.)

_Thoughts(Italics.)_

**Telepathic speech and abilities/visions(Bold.)**

**Previous chapter:**

**————Leia Skywalker POV————**

Silence falls as Luke thinks before he says, “I am sorry, sister. I can sense that Ben Solo is still gone. Kylo Ren is still the one in control.”

Leia sighs but nods her head. She closes her eyes, wishing her son would return to her. Then, the most intense pain she has ever felt washes over her. The cries out, as do Luke and Ahsoka. Leia senses a death that she hoped she would never feel. “Ben…” She whispers, a sob escaping her throat.

**Chapter 15(Annihilation)**

**————Rey Palpatine POV————**

As Rey exits her personal shuttle into the hanger of the _Ultimus_ , her rage creates a storm cloud of dark energy around her. It resonates around her in pulses of dark energy, causing all of those around her to back away. Kayla and Maul walk close behind her, Kylo’s body floating on a stretcher between the two of them. Maul limps a bit on his metal legs, the legs making clanging sounds as he walks. Both of them keep their distance from Rey, the aura of dark power causing a void of light to hide Rey’s appearance.

Rey storms through the metal hallways, Sith Troopers scattering as she walks. When she reaches the bridge, she orders, “Guide the ship out of atmo and prepare to jump to light speed. The Hosnian system will be the first test for this superweapon.”

She gets affirmative answers and watches through the viewport as the massive Super Star Destroyer makes its way past the thousands of Star Destroyers and into the void of space.

The stars blur together as the ship makes its jump into light speed. Rey finally allows her emotions to simmer down and opens a mental link to her grandfather. “ **Grandfather, something has happened.** ”

He quickly responds, “ **I know what has happened, dear child, and I know what you plan to do. It may work though it has never been done before. The power taken from the _Ultimus’_ superweapon combined with your own power should be able to transfer a sufficient life-force to jumpstart the heart of Kylo Ren. There may be side effects of using part of your own life-force to restart his but we won’t know them until after you try.**”

“ **I understand. How does this superweapon work?** ” Rey asks.

“ **It is very tough to explain. There is a central chamber deep in the hull of the ship, one that contains a massive power cell. You will get into the power cell. Once the weapon is fired, a massive wave of radioactive power will be emitted from the weapon, killing every living thing on the surface of the planet. Once that is done, an influx of energy will draw the essences of midi-chlorines into the ship where it will be flooded into you. It will then be your job to guide the power into Kylo Ren’s body.** ”

Rey nods, her heart hammering at the upcoming task. “ **Is there any risk to me?** ”

Her grandfather sighs, “ **Unfortunately, yes. The massive influx of power may overload your capacity and cause a Force Explosion that would kill anyone within the sector and the entire ship**.”

Rey chuckles without humor, “ **Of course. So, if I succeed, Kylo lives, if I fail, I die and the _Ultimus will be destroyed._** _”_

“ **Correct. I do not tell you this lightly, Rey. Your death would mean the end of both the Palpatine bloodline and the Sith themselves. You possess the knowledge of every Sith to ever live. If anyone could pull it off, it is you.** ” Darth Sidious says. “ **This is your destiny, Darth Rhaelyx. Let nothing stand in your way.** ”

Rey sighs, “ **I won’t fail you, grandfather. Thank you.** ”

The connection disappears and Rey is left staring out the front viewport at the blue swirl of hyperspace. Kayla walks up to her side, placing a palm on her shoulder, “What are you going to do?”

Rey takes a deep breath, “What I have to.”

She turns and walks passed Kayla, not saying another word to her girlfriend. She feels Kayla’s eyes on her back but refuses herself from turning around. She walks over to where Maul stands, Kylo’s body floating next to him. She turns to two Sith Troopers. “Take him to the central chamber. I will be there soon.”

The troopers nod and guide Kylo’s body out of the room.

Rey walks over to the Holo-table in the center of the room and orders, “Get me a map of the Hosnian System.”

A few moments later, a three-dimensional map appears. Rey’s eyes instantly focus on the larger planet as it glitters with life. The planet looks a lot like Coruscant. “ _Hosnian Prime. The perfect planet to be the base of our test._ ”

“The moment we exit hyperspace, begin charging the superweapon and target Hosnian Prime. Do not fire until I give the order.” General Pryde walks forward to stand at her side.

“Are you sure about this, milady? Doing this will reveal your capabilities to everyone in the Galaxy.” Pryde asks.

Rey nods, “Exactly. I want them to know. Let them fear me.”

She turns to one of the bridge commanders and says, “Send a communication channel to General Hux of the First Order. I will speak to him.”

“Yes, milady.”

A few moments later, Hux appears on the Holo-table, his eyes widening when he sees her. He seems to want to lash out at her but thinks better of it, “Good day, General Hux. I am Darth Rhaelyx. Your Supreme Commander is dead. Do not think that this is an opportunity for you to seize power. I killed your Supreme Leader. I could crush you.”

Hux has to hide a sneer, “Yes, Lady Palpatine. What can I do for you today?”

“I am arriving in the Hosnian System with a new weapon to test. I want you to bring a fleet here to support my test. Upon your arrival, I will be handing command over the First Order Navy to my General.”

Hux’s face turns red in anger, “You presume to control my army?! The Supreme Leader is dead, we have no ruler!”

Rey raises one gloved hand up, tightening her telekinetic grip around his neck. “The Supreme Leader…is dead…” She hisses.

Hux chokes out, “Long live…the Sith Empress.”

“I will be expecting you, General. Do not disappoint me.” She says, voice a cold, dangerous warning.

Hux nods and the comm-link ends. “How far are we from the Hosnian System?”

“An hour out, milady. We are having to chart a course around a star that is dangerously near its supernova stage.”

Rey nods, turning to Pryde, “This is your opportunity to prove yourself to me, General. I know that my grandfather trusts your capabilities, but I do not yet. I am going to send you to the _Supremacy_ to take command over the First Order fleet. I want you to use the large flagships to divert the attacks that will likely come from the Resistance.”

Pryde nods briefly, “Yes, Lady Palpatine. I will not fail you.”

Rey nods, her eyes flashing a brighter shade of red briefly, “See that you do not.”

Rey nods and, with her cloak swinging with her, she turns and walks out of the room, heading to the central chamber. As she walks, a cruel smile appears on her lips as she comes up with an idea.

**————Luke Skywalker POV————**

Luke runs a comforting hand down his sister’s back, his sadness for his sister’s loss mixing with his own sense of failure.

Silence reigns over the occupants of the ship. Han looks confused and saddened. Mara faces away from them, her eyes looking out the viewport of the Falcon.

Suddenly, the silence is interrupted when the comm beeps. Luke walks over and accepts the comm.

“Master Luke,” Mace Windu says.

“Master Windu, it is good to see you. Is there something you need?”

“Yes. I have a spy in the First Order and he has informed me that the granddaughter of Darth Sidious is making her first move. She has some sort of superweapon and plans to use it on the Hosnian System. We must stop her.”

Luke nods, “What is your plan, Master Windu?”

“I do not know what kind of weapon she has so we cannot work on a plan to stop her yet. All I know is that she now controls the First Order along with her own faction. She ordered a high-ranking First Order general to send a fleet of Star Destroyers to aid her. She will be prepared for our arrival.”

“How can we possibly stop her? I know you have a small fleet, but not nearly enough to stop a superweapon and a fleet of Star Destroyers.” Leia asks, seemingly looking better.

Master Windu shakes his head, “We may not be able to but we still need to try. We can’t just let all of those people die without trying to save them.”

Leia nods in agreement until Mara steps forward, “You have mentioned the Sith Empress multiple times but I have yet to hear you mention her grandfather. Why is that?”

Mace sighs, “If my report is to be believed, Darth Sidious stepped down from his position of power to allow his granddaughter to take his place.”

Mara’s eyes widen, “There is no way that is correct. My former _master_ would never willingly give up power.”

Master Windu sighs, “I don’t know what to tell you, Mara Jade. It is possible his granddaughter forced him down. But we must also consider the possibility that she has her grandfather’s support to do as she pleases with his resources. If that is the case, we need to figure out more about the powers she possesses.”

Luke sighs, “Master Windu, haven’t their been rumors in the past that the Sith Empress would be the one to destroy the light forever?”

Mace sighs, “According to the Archives when I was studying at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, yes…We cannot put stock in legends though. I mean, look where the legend of The Chosen One got us.”

Luke feels a bit of fury flood through his blood but he keeps himself silent. Leia on the other hand says, “Our father sacrificed himself to bring balance to the Force. Just as it was foretold he would.”

Mace’s eyes darken and Luke can tell his sister had found a sore spot. “As it was foretold…? Your _father_ turned to the darkness! I had Darth Sidious defeated and on the ground at my feet! I decided that he was too dangerous to be left alive and tried to kill him. Your _father_ chose to slice off my right hand…” Mace holds up his cybernetic right hand. “…and then allowed Darth Sidious to blast me out a window using Force Lightning. So, no. Your father did not do as was foretold. I mean, he didn’t even kill Palpatine!”

Luke walks forward, placing a hand on his sister’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. “Not now, Leia.” He whispers.

Leia is almost shaking with rage, the air around her crackling with tension. Luke walks back over to Mara, standing at her side.

Mace shakes his head, “We do not have time for this. The superweapon his going to arrive in the next few hours. We need to jump our fleets to form a protective formation in front of the planets in the system.”

“But we don’t even know what the weapon is! Besides, our fleet cannot handle the firepower of a fleet of Star Destroyers. There is nothing we can do, Master Windu.”

Mace turns his eyes to look at Luke, “What would you have me do? Huh? Let the entire population of the Hosnian System become test subjects under the Sith Empress?”

Luke flinches, “I…I don’t know.”

Mace’s expression darkens, “You…don't know. How helpful, Master Skywalker. Thank you so much for the input.”

Luke takes a step back, surprised at the Jedi Master’s crass attitude. “Come to the Hosnian System. We will at least attempt to evacuate as many people as we can before _she_ arrives.”

Han steps forward, “Whatever this superweapon is, there has to be a way to blow it up. There always is.”

Leia nods at her husband’s statement, “Han’s right.”

Master Windu nods, “That is most likely true. However, we don’t even know what kind of superweapon it is. Until we see it, we cannot develop a plan of attack.”

Luke nods, taking a deep breath. “Alright. Do we have any idea why the Sith Empress has chosen now to do this test?”

Mace nods slowly, “I believe it has to do with the untimely death of one of her enforcers, Kylo Ren.”

Luke’s eyes widen, a sense of sadness and self-loathing flooding through him. A sob exits Leia’s mouth. “What? Why?”

Mace sighs, “If my intel is to be believed, she believes herself capable of bringing back Kylo Ren from death.”

Luke shakes his head, “That isn’t possible.” After a moment, “Is it?”

Master Windu shakes his head, “No. That would defy the natural order of things. I do not believe she will succeed. However, in order to even attempt such a thing, she would need an immense amount of life-force.”

Lando steps out of the shadows, “Well, what if that is what the superweapon does? Harnesses the power of the dead?”

Windu looks thoughtful, before a look of horror crosses his face, “He did it…” He mutters.

Luke frowns, “Care to clue us in? Did what?”

Mace looks up, his eyes fearful, “Darth Sidious may have successfully recreated the design of the most devastating ship ever built. If he did, may the Force have mercy on us all. We will not stand even the ghost of a chance.”

Leia takes a deep breath, “What is this weapon, Master Windu?”

As Mace goes to respond, his hologram begins to flicker. “I think it is—.”

He is unable to finish. His hologram vanishes entirely, leaving the ship in silence.

For a moment, no one says anything. The ship is eerily silent, the only sounds being that of the breathing.

“Luke…” Leia says softly. “Do you think there is any chance that my son will…”

Luke sighs, taking a deep breath. “Leia, I am sorry, but Ben is gone. Even if somehow the Sith Empress is able to bring him back, he would likely be twisted as she will have to infuse him with her own essence. He wouldn’t be the son you knew.”

Leia nods slowly, a tear rolling down one cheek. Luke runs his hand over his sister’s back again, looking around the ship. Han walks over to them and Luke nods to him, taking a step away from his sister to allow Han to comfort her.

Luke walks over to Mara, wrapping one arm around her and pulling her head onto his chest. His lips press against the crown of her red hair, inhaling her scent. “What do we do, Mara? If the Sith Empress truly does have a superweapon as powerful as Master Windu was making it out to be, we don’t stand much of a chance.”

The woman sighs, “I don’t know, Farmboy. If the Emperor’s granddaughter is anything like him, then I fear we have already lost.”

The ship falls silent once more, Han’s whispers the only audible sound. Then, the air around them grows colder. Luke’s eyes widen in horror and terror when a sound he never wanted to hear again echos through the ship. A sound his mind has long since concluded could only mean bad things. A sound that brings up many bad memories, including the faithful day on Cloud City when he found out the truth. He remembers the words his father had said, _“No, I am your father.”_

The terrifying sound of breaths echoing past a black mask, the modulator altering them into a sound that many heard as they died.

Luke’s eyes dart around the small room, searching for the source of the breathing. Everyone in the ship rises to their feet, hands reaching for blasters. Luke and Mara both ignite their blades, the lights colluding as they light up the room.

The air grows even colder, the doorway that leads towards the cockpit darkening. The cloaked figure of Luke and Leia’s father appears, though it isn’t Anakin Skywalker. No, _Darth Vader’s_ ominous figure appears, the light from Luke and Leia’s sabers reflecting off the reflective black material of his mask.

“We meet again, at last,” Darth Vader says, his voice coming out in his terrifying, dark drawl.

“Father…” Luke and Leia say as one.

A dark chuckle leaves the black mask, “Hello, children.”

“This is impossible,” Luke mutters. “You can’t be here. I saw you die! I burned your body! I spoke to your ghost!”

The dark figure walks closer to them, “I find your lack of faith, disturbing, Luke.” The altered breaths become spaced close together, “You should know by now that the Force makes anything possible.”

Luke doesn’t buy into it, “No, you are not my father. You aren’t. My father could never… _be as vile as you._ ”

The dark figure laughs again, turning towards Leia. “What about you, daughter?”   
Leia snarls, her eyes flashing with barely restrained anger. “You _are not_ my father.”

Darth Vader’s gaze sweeps around the ship, coming to a rest on Ahsoka. “And what about you, my former Padawan?”

The Togruta ignites two white blades, lowering herself into a ready position. No words leave her lips as she glares into the fearsome black mask. “What the fuck are you?” Han asks, eloquent as always.

The dark figure laughs again, “Ah, the smuggler speaks.” A pause, the dreaded breaths echoing around the ship. “I…I am _your doom._ ”

Darth Vader summons his lightsaber into his right hand, igniting the red blade. It hums with dark power, sending a shiver down Luke’s spine. Instead of making any move to attack the ship’s occupants, Darth Vader turns the blade off and points the emitter directly at his heart. With a snap and a hiss, the red blade empales itself through his black armor and through his heart.

Instead of anything happening, shadows race forwards and cloak his figure. Luke almost gasps at the amount of dark, evil power surging through the room. After a moment, the shadows recede, leaving a much smaller figure dressed in a black cloak in its place. The cloak appears to be made of darkness, red lightning flickering across the surface of it. A hood shrouds the figure’s features, but the features of the cloaked figure clearly define her as female. A laugh leaves her hooded lips, sounding _exactly_ like the laughs that had left Darth Vader’s mask moments before.

Slowly, the laugh becomes higher and pitch and clearly feminine. However, if anything, this laugh is far more frightening than the one that Darth Vader had given. This one sounds cold, cruel, evil, sadistic. Any way Luke can think to describe the sound doesn’t even compare to it. “Greetings, Master Skywalker.” The figure says.

Luke brandies his green blade, “Who are you?”

The figure laughs again, “Master Luke, I am hurt. You don’t remember me?”

Her eyes trace their way across the room’s occupants, coming to a stop on Lando and Mara. Her red eyes flash brighter for a second and Mara gasps, a sob leaving her lips.

Luke quickly disengages his blade, turning to Mara to comfort her. “What is it, my love?”  
“She…is _his_ granddaughter…” Mara mutters. “She stole my daughter from me!”

Luke’s eyes widen, “What did she do to our daughter, Mara?”

The dark figure laughs again, “I did many things to her, you will have to be more specific.”

Gasps sound around the room at the implications of those words. Luke looks at the figure in horror at what she insinuates. He turns to Mara, praying that it isn’t true. The look on her face instantly destroys any hope he had. “You…you…”

The figure cocks her head, a mocking laugh leaving her. “Yes, _Master_ Skywalker. Your daughter and I have enjoyed our time together.”

Luke glares at her, for the first time in years losing all control over his anger. “You…raped my daughter?”

The figure laughs, though it has a dangerously annoyed edge to it, “Far from it. I would never do anything to Kira she did not wish to happen. Besides, she, ah, returned the favor.”

The cloaked figure reaches up with one hand, gently tugging the hood off of her head. Slowly but surely, all the pieces fall into place and Luke stumbles backward a few feet. Standing before him is _Kira,_ the same girl he, Leia, and Ahsoka had begun to place confidence on.”

“I think it is long past time I properly introduce myself. I…am Rey Palpatine, the Sith Empress. I am Darth Rhaelyx.”

Luke merely looks at her in horror, unable to even think of how to react to the horrific news. The hood falls all the way off of her, revealing her features entirely. She is beautiful, there is no denying that. Her skin is extremely pale, her black hair slicked back and pulled into a ponytail. She has high cheekbones that accentuate her pink lips and delicate eyebrows.

However, her glowing, red eyes take away from that and the bags under her eyes confuse Luke. “I apologize for my dishonesty, _Master Skywalker._ ” She sneers at him, her beautiful features twisting into a cruel expression.

“I am expecting you to arrive in a futile attempt to save the _Hosnian_ System, and I will be ever so disappointed if you are not all there to witness the beginning of my rise to power. After all, you are the _Resistance,_ are you not? How many of your people survived Endor? It can’t have been many. Kylo followed my orders to perfection.”

Leia’s features twist with fury as she says, “Don’t you say that name!”

Rey cocks her head, Luke gasping when he sees a brief flash of sadness on the evil figure’s features. “What name? The name of my most loyal man?”

“The name of my son!” Leia snarls.

Rey laughs, “I am afraid your son is dead. And he won’t be coming back. However, rest assured that his death was avenged.”

“Who killed him?” Ahsoka asks.

Rey’s grin becomes even colder, “Why, your other apprentice, of course.”

Luke shakes his head, “My daughter would never kill…” he trails off.

Rey laughs, “Figured it out, did you? Yes, Luke. FN-2187 met the fate he has deserved for a long time. That fucking traitor shouldn’t have taken a breath.”

A furry fist swishes through the air towards Rey’s head, only to sail right through it. “Oh please, you dumb, brown creature.” She says disdainfully. “As if the likes of you could ever even touch me.”

Chewbacca lets out a loud roar, clutching the fist that slammed into the bulkhead of the ship. Rey turns away briefly before returning her focus to them. “Well, I am sorry to cut this lovely conversation short, but I really must be going. I have a planet to destroy.”

The shadows around her rush to cover her body and she vanishes, leaving behind no evidence that she was ever there.

Silence reigns over the ship, every occupant of the _Millennium Falcon_ looking at the spot which moments before was occupied by the Sith Empress.

**A/N.**

**I am so sorry for how long this has taken. I gotta be brutally honest, I have lost much of the interest I held for the Star Wars fandom and that is the reason I haven’t been updating this.**

**THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE TESTING OF THE _ULTIMUS_ and Rey’s attempt to save Kylo Ren.**

**Explanations:  
** **Rey is truly evil. If you haven't gotten that by now, then I am sorry. She is purposefully showboating her power to the remnants of the Resistance, knowing that there is nothing they can do to stop her.**

**Mace Windu is changed, years of vengeance twisting him from the man he once was. His anger towards Luke and Leia's father is well-merited.**

**AS ALWAYS, thanks for reading. I love you all... <3**


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